Asceticism and Simple Life; Their Role in Personal and Social Growth in the Light of Quranic Verses and Traditions

Asceticism and simple life are among the most valuable moral virtues، the importance of which is quite distinct in Quranic verses and traditions. The present paper is a descriptive-analytical research، which، while reviewing such concepts as asceticism and simple life and the Quranic concept of growth، investigates the effects of asceticism and simple life and how they affect individual and social growth. Among the most important findings of this paper is that institutionalization of asceticism and simple life in individual and social life will bring about fundamental and profound effects، each of which will prepares the ground for individual and social growth. These effects are: acceptance and love of the truth، achieving growth in this world and here after، complacency، intellectual and behavioral development، knowledge of the defects of this world، practical growth، self-esteem، growth in authority and rigidity، love for believers، growth in guidance، knowledge and guidance، comprehensive growth in all domains، growth in wisdom and vision، behavioral، verbal and doctrinal growth، understanding the condition of the dispossessed، mental growth of the dispossessed and moral growth of ascetics.