The Reality of Extravagance and the Importance of Thrift
✍🏻 Muhammad Aadil Arariavi
________________________________
Respected Readers, today we all complain about inflation, and it is indeed a reality. But a bitter truth is that our own behaviors further exacerbate this inflation. We spend in many places where there is no benefit or need, and in the end, we are left with worry. Nowadays, everyone laments about inflation and unemployment. Protests and rallies are held against inflation daily, and complaints are made in various ways on the media, as if a litany of "Oh, inflation! Oh, inflation!" is being recited. And this litany includes not only poor people but also a large segment of the rich and wealthy. However, the important teaching that Islam has given in this regard, which is fundamental to improving economic problems, is generally not paid attention to. And that is to avoid extravagance, wasteful spending, and squandering of wealth, and to adhere to the principle of thrift. Disorder in life is the real problem. Allah Almighty says:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَم يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا ۔ Translation: And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes). (Al-Furqan 67) Explanation: That is, the accepted servants of Allah, when spending wealth, are neither extravagant nor miserly, but remain balanced between the two. The words 'israf' (extravagance) and 'iqtar' (miserliness) are used in the verse in contrast to each other.
The literal meaning of 'israf' is to exceed the limit. In the terminology of Sharia, according to Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada, and Ibn Juraij, spending in disobedience to Allah is 'israf', even if it is a single penny. And some scholars have said that spending more than necessary in permissible and lawful matters, which falls into the category of 'tabzir' (wastefulness), is also considered 'israf' because 'tabzir' is forbidden and sinful in the Quran. Allah Almighty says: إِنَّ الْمُبَيِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيْطِينِ (Bani Israel 27). In this regard, the essence of this interpretation also becomes the aforementioned interpretation of Hazrat Ibn Abbas and others, meaning that whatever is spent in sin and transgression is 'israf'. (Mazhari)
And the meaning of 'iqtar' is stinginess and miserliness in spending. In the terminology of Sharia, its meaning is to be stingy in spending on matters that Allah and His Messenger have commanded to spend on (and not spending at all is even more included in this). This interpretation is also narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Qatada, etc. (Mazhari). The summary of the aforementioned verse is that one of the important qualities of believers is that they spend their wealth with moderation, without falling into excess or deficiency.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: مِنْ فِقْهِ الرَّجُلِ قَصْدُهُ فِي مَعِيشَتِهِ meaning, it is a sign of a person's wisdom to adopt moderation in spending (neither indulging in extravagance nor stinginess). (Narrated by Imam Ahmad from Abi al-Darda, Ibn Kathir)
In another hadith, it is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: مَا عَالَ مَنِ اقتصد meaning, the person who remains steadfast on moderation and balance in spending never becomes poor and needy. (Narrated by Imam Ahmad, Ibn Kathir)
(Reference: Maarif ul Quran, Volume 6, Page 630, Mufti Shafi Usmani)
In today's era, the biggest problem for an ordinary person is that he does not know where the money was spent after earning it. Instead of living according to his income, he follows others blindly, and social media has also fueled the fire of competition.
All these things together increase poverty and restlessness of the heart. In today's era, people have opened wide gates of extravagance and unnecessary, even royal, expenses. From the birth of a child to weddings and deaths, people have surrounded themselves with countless unnecessary customs, and the matter of daily extravagance is separate.
If we look fairly at our expenses from morning to evening and examine them in depth, we will not face much difficulty in reaching the conclusion that we can alleviate our economic hardship to a great extent by reducing and controlling our daily expenses. By reviewing all the things we eat, drink, wear, and use, we can reduce our expenses to a great extent and get rid of the lament of economic hardship. Showing off is a disease that is bothering everyone. The real thing is that it is not possible to please people, but it is very easy to ruin oneself.
Today, we see that even the poorest people spend hundreds of rupees daily on tea, cigarettes, various types of unnecessary and even harmful beverages, newspapers, and many other similar things. By using electricity, water, gas, and petrol unnecessarily, they burden themselves with bills of thousands of rupees every month.
By using telephones and mobiles etc. unnecessarily, they are forced to pay bills of hundreds and thousands of rupees. They waste thousands, not lakhs, of rupees in many customs under the title of childbirth, marriage, and death, only as a show of ostentation and hypocrisy, they sacrifice huge amounts on expensive and showy clothes. If we act on the principle of "when needed and as needed" and take care of it in daily life, then surely each of us can reduce expenses of hundreds and thousands of rupees.
Thrift does not mean miserliness. Thrift means spending as much as is necessary, being grateful for what you have received, and not selling your peace of mind in the greed for what you do not have. This is the principle that can hold us in the era of inflation. The need to change one's heart. In the era of inflation, the first change is necessary in thinking. Learn to live with less, keep track of your earnings, differentiate between necessities and desires, and always look at those who have less than you, only then will the heart be satisfied and life will seem easy. Along with this, it is also necessary that whatever Allah Almighty has given to someone in a lawful and permissible way, he should be patient, grateful, and content with it, and instead of looking at those above him and the wealthy, he should look at those below him and the poor. If we adopt both these tasks with good intentions and focus, i.e., avoid extravagance and take care of thrift, then it is hoped that we can easily get rid of lamenting about inflation and unemployment, being in debt, stretching our hands in front of others, and even many serious crimes of looting, illegal eating, and murder and destruction for the fulfillment of our desires. Whether inflation is high or low, if our own behaviors are corrected, life becomes easier. If we reduce extravagance, abandon showing off, and bring a little order to the household system, then believe me, domestic disputes will decrease, mental peace will increase, we will get rid of debts, and there will be blessings in life. May Allah enable us all to understand that a better life is made with understanding, not with money.
May Allah Almighty grant us all freedom from extravagance, protect us completely from illegal earnings, and grant us lawful sustenance. Amen, then Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.