the abbasìd’s golden age 219God in search of these earnings. This might sound logical to the
mind of today, but, at a time when flùfìs turned beggars while devot-
ing all their lives to the worship and the love of God, the point car-
ried a strong message.
Al-Œàrith’s argument in his first chapter is strong and convincing.
It carries the same approach of criticizing those in disagreement with
him: explaining their points of views, thoroughly supported with ref-
erence to the Qur"ànic verses that confirm the provision of God for
everyone’s needs but also contending these views eloquently, yet with
strong support from the same source: the Qur"ànic text. Using the
power of reasoning, he continues to explain to his opponents, yet
fellow flùfìs, the purpose of the Qur"ànic text, the intention of the
divine rule, and the variation that might sound like a conflict of
commands. In contention with fellow flùfìs, who advocated the deser-
tion of the chase of earnings for the sake of worship, we find him
referring to the Qur"àn and Œadìthin stressing that while God has
permitted the pursuit of earnings, He organized that by a mandate
that this should not lead to diversion of God’s rule or His worship,
not the other way round. The psychological approach to his argu-
ment also seems obvious in this chapter which reflects a deep under-
standing of self and others.
In his second chapter of Earnings and Asceticism al-Έrith is
devoting a considerable part to the discussion of the ethical basis of
the pursuit of earnings: the permissible and the forbidden. In gen-
eral, the permissible is the type of pursuit that does not imply a
breach of God’s rules or commands. The forbidden by contrast is
what deviates from the commands of God. A further clarification of
the responsibility of the individual in earning a livelihood is added:
ones responsibility towards one’s own family. This seems a further
reinforcement in argument against the fellow flùfìs, who regarded
worship as superior to earning a living. The message is that devot-
ing one’s life to worship without supporting one’s family would leave
the family devastated. And this is against God’s command. The argu-
ment is reinforced in this chapter with examples from the lives of
the Prophet and his companions and their practice and ethical means
of earning a living.
The argument against the other flùfìs on the subject takes a specific
turn in the fourth chapter. It focuses on a renowned flùfì from
Khurasàn, Persia, mentioned by name as Shaqiq, Shaqiq ibn Ibràhìm
ibn Ali al-Azdi al-Balkhy. Al-Œàrith cites Shaqiq’s claims and replies