Have you ever felt anxious because something you desire has not yet come to you? We may keep pursuing it, as though our share in life could be exchanged with someone else’s or taken away by them.

Striving is necessary, but we should not become so occupied with chasing the world that we neglect what Allah asks of us. There is a reminder in the book Al-Hikam about zuhud—spiritual detachment from worldly attachment—that calls the heart not to depend on the world or on what other people possess.

Zuhud and the Portion Already Decreed

A person once asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Show me a deed which, if I do it, will make Allah and people love me.”

The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Be detached from the world, and Allah will love you. Be detached from what people possess, and they will love you.”

Whatever has been decreed as your portion will not diminish, even if you keep asking for it. And whatever is not meant for you will not come into your hands, no matter how much you pursue it.

Allah says, “We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world.” (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:32).

So why do we remain anxious and continue to chase the world when all of it has already been decreed? When you struggle relentlessly for something that has been destined for you, yet neglect what is required of you, it is a sign that the inner eye of your heart has begun to fade and grow dim.

— From Al-Hikam —

Zuhud does not mean stopping work or abandoning the world altogether. It means placing the world in our hands, rather than in our hearts. We still strive through what is right and lawful, but we do not tie our peace to outcomes or to what people may give us.

What is meant for us will not be exchanged. Our task is to make the effort, fulfill our responsibilities, and protect our hearts so that they remain dependent upon Allah.

So, do we still want to spend our peace worrying about something that has already been decreed?