If Allah has placed you in a state of engagement—whether through work, family responsibilities, or other means of sustenance—do not seek to abandon those outward means. To desire separation from them while still being inwardly attached is a sign of subtle nafs (ego). True reliance is not in the outward form, but in the heart’s surrender to Allah within whatever state He places you. But, if Allah has granted you isolation from worldly means and responsibilities, and you find yourself free to devote yourself to worship and remembrance, then recognize that this is a gift—He has relieved you of the burden, not that you have earned it. To descend from that station, yearning for engagement with the world again without necessity, is a sign of diminished aspiration (himmah).
