BENEFIT 213: Many people think that Salafi scholars and Du'aat call on people to abandon all worldly pleasures. Is this true?

Sheikh Abdulḥamīd Az-Zu'kari ḥafidhahullāh responded: This statement is incorrect. Allah says in the Qur'an: ﴿قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ قُلْ هِيَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا خَالِصَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ﴾ “Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?’ Say, ‘They are for those who believe during the worldly life [but] exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection’” [Quran 7:32]. Eat, drink, dress, and give in charity without excess or pride. Allah says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا اللهَ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ﴾ “O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship” [Quran 2:172]; ﴿فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ ﴾ “So walk among its slopes and eat of His provision, and to Him is the resurrection” [Quran 67:15], among other evidence. Salafis enjoy the blessings of Allah that He has made permissible for His servants: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا﴾ “It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth” [Quran 2:29]. They eat, drink, dress, marry, ride, and trade. Salafiyyah is not limited to those in the masjid. A Salafi is someone who follows the way of the pious predecessors, whether he is a soldier, a merchant, a sailor, or a farmer. However, the most complete among them are the students of knowledge who dedicate themselves to learning, practicing, and teaching it. Ahlus-Sunnah, the Salafis, only prohibit what Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have prohibited. For example, in the category of drinks, we prohibit alcohol and its derivatives (based on the statement of the Prophet ﷺ): ((كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ خَمْرٌ، وكُلُّ خَمْرٍ حَرامٌ)) “Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is haram.” So, drink mango juice, pineapple juice, grape juice if it is consumed the same day it is soaked, milk, water, honey, aloe vera, lemon, and all drinks except those prohibited by evidence. In the category of food, eat whatever you desire from meat, nuts, fruits, etc. The only prohibited meats are those not slaughtered for Allah or those explicitly prohibited by Him. Everything else on the earth is originally permissible and good. If it is plants, eat all plants unless prohibited due to a secondary reason such as intoxication or harm. In the category of clothing, wear what you like: white, black, red, yellow, green, an izar, a ridā’, a shirt, a turban, a cap, a burnus (hooded cloak). However, do not wear pants, do not shave your beard, and do not shorten your hair excessively. Shave or trim your mustache, and remove armpit hair by shaving, trimming, or plucking. Shave your pubic hair with any permissible method. What have we prohibited for people?! We say, do not watch television due to the images of living beings, music, and immodest women. We do not participate in elections as they cause division, imitate disbelievers, lead to ruling by other than the Shari'ah law, and promote rebellion against Muslim rulers. Claiming that Salafis prohibit all enjoyments is incorrect. If we prohibited everything, we would have died from hunger, nakedness, and disease. Instead, we treat ourselves, eat, drink, nourish ourselves, and enjoy Allah’s blessings. Once, we were with Sheikh Yahya ḥafidhahullāh, and a man joined us for a meal. He saw cucumber and carrot salad and bananas on the table and asked how we could eat these, saying people claim we prohibit them. We told him to see for himself. He also mentioned that people say we prohibit women from milking cows. How many cows, camels, sheep, and goats do Ahlus-Sunnah own?!