The Excellence of Moderation

إِنَّ الْقَصْدَ أَمْرٌ يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِنَّ السَّرَفَ أَمْرٌ يُبْغِضُهُ اللَّهُ حَتَّى طَرْحَكَ النَّوَاةَ فَإِنَّهَا تَصْلُحُ لِلشَّيْ‌ءِ وَ حَتَّى صَبَّكَ فَضْلَ شَرَابِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that moderation is a matter that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, loves, and extravagance is a thing that Allah hates. It applies even to one’s throwing the stone inside the piece of a date; it can be useful for something, and to throwing the leftover of what you drink.’”

فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ يَسْئَلُونَكَ ما ذا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ[4] قَالَ الْعَفْوُ الْوَسَطُ.

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘They ask you about what should spend (for the sake of Allah). Say, “It is disregarding. . .’” (2: 219), Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The word “al-‘Afw (disregarding)” refers to spending moderately.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ‌ الْقَصْدُ مَثْرَاةٌ وَ السَّرَفُ مَتْوَاةٌ[1].

“’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘Moderation leads to increase, and extravagance leads to destruction.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ ثَلَاثٌ مُنْجِيَاتٌ فَذَكَرَ الثَّالِثُ الْقَصْدُ فِي الْغِنَى وَ الْفَقْرِ[2].

the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Three things work as means of salvation for a person and he described moderation, in both poverty and financial well-being, to be one of such means.’”

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ ضَمِنْتُ لِمَنِ اقْتَصَدَ أَنْ لَا يَفْتَقِرَ.

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘I guarantee safety from poverty in favor of one who observes moderation (in spending).”

لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَنْفَقَ مَا فِي يَدَيْهِ فِي سَبِيلٍ مِنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ أَحْسَنَ وَ لَا وُفِّقَ أَ لَيْسَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى- وَ لا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ وَ أَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ‌[3] يَعْنِي الْمُقْتَصِدِينَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that all kinds of one’s spending for the sake of Allah, on any one of His causes, is not a good or successful spending. Allah, the most High says, ‘You must not throw yourselves in perdition. Do good; Allah loves those who do good.’ (2:195) “Doers of good” refers to those who observe mo

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا عُبَيْدُ إِنَّ السَّرَفَ يُورِثُ الْفَقْرَ وَ إِنَّ الْقَصْدَ يُورِثُ الْغِنَى.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘O ‘Ubayd, excessive spending causes poverty but moderation leads to wealth.’”

قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع‌ مَا عَالَ امْرُؤٌ فِي اقْتِصَادٍ.

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), once said, ‘With moderation, one does not suffer poverty.’”

لَهُ إِنَّا نَكُونُ فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ فَنُرِيدُ الْإِحْرَامَ فَنَطَّلِي وَ لَا تَكُونُ مَعَنَا نُخَالَةٌ نَتَدَلَّكُ بِهَا مِنَ النُّورَةِ فَنَتَدَلَّكُ بِالدَّقِيقِ وَ قَدْ دَخَلَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ فَقَالَ‌ أَ مَخَافَةَ الْإِسْرَافِ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ فِيمَا أَصْلَحَ الْبَدَنَ إِسْرَافٌ إِنِّي رُبَّمَا أَمَرْتُ بِالنَّقِيِّ فَيُلَتُ‌[1] بِالزَّيْتِ فَأَتَدَلَّكُ بِهِ إِنَّمَا الْإِ

“Once, I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘On our way to Makkah, we wanted to wear the special dress for Ihram (a certain act of Hajj), but we did not have proper material for shaving, and we did not have bran or flour to use in place of lime. We used flour for this purpose. Allah knows that I had a strange feeling about i

إِذَا جَادَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَجُودُوا وَ إِذَا أَمْسَكَ عَنْكُمْ فَأَمْسِكُوا وَ لَا تُجَاوِدُوا اللَّهَ فَهُوَ الْأَجْوَدُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, gives to you generously, be generous to yourselves; when He withholds, you should also do so, but do not try to surpass Him; He is more generous than you are.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنِ اقْتَصَدَ فِي مَعِيشَتِهِ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ وَ مَنْ بَذَّرَ حَرَمَهُ اللَّهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Whoever maintains moderation, Allah grants him sustenance, but He deprives one who spends excessively.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع يَقُولُ‌ الرِّفْقُ نِصْفُ الْعَيْشِ وَ مَا عَالَ امْرُؤٌ فِي اقْتِصَادِهِ.

“I heard abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), say, ‘Easing off in spending is half of one’s sustenance, and with observance of moderation, one does not become poor.’”