2.32. MODERATION (to be continued)

God says

(MODERATION IN VIRTUES:)
And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that (with your lives) you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind… Q.2:143

(MODERATION IN GOOD THINGS OF LIFE:)
....Do not deprive yourself of good things of life which God has made lawful to you, but commit no excess: for God loves not those given to excess. - Q.5:87

(MODERATION IN PRAYER:)
[Pray unto Him; yet] be not too loud in your prayers nor say it in too low a voice, but follow a way in between; -- Q.17:110

Prophet said

1. “The best of affairs is in their moderation.”-- H: Baihaqi. N: Matref-b-Abdullah.

2. “When one of you leads the prayer, let him be short, because among those (who pray with him) there are the sick, the weak and the old.”-- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah. And in a Hadith narrated by Osman-b-Abil`Aas also “among them there are those who have (to attend to) other needs”

3. “…observe fast and also break (in the evening), stand up (for prayer at night) and also sleep, because surely, there is duty on you to your body, duty to your eyes, duty towards your wife, and duty to your neighbour”-- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abdullah-b-Amr-Aas.

2.31. SHOWING-OFF (HYPOCRISY) concluded

God says

(God does not love) those who spend their possessions on others (only) to be seen and praised by people,* while they believe neither in God nor in the Last Day; and he who has Satan for a soul-mate, how evil a soul-mate has he!** -- Q4:38
*Deeds should be for God alone and not for praise or favours or for fear of reproach from others.
** An allusion to 2 : 268, where Satan is spoken of as “threatening you with the
prospect of poverty and bidding you to be niggardly”, the implication being that those
who obey him “have Satan for their soul-mate”.

… And when they, [the hypocrites,] rise to pray, they rise reluctantly, only to be seen and praised by men, remembering God but seldom, Q.4:142


Restrain from deceptive speech,Q.22:30

Woe, then, unto those praying ones whose hearts from prayer are remote – those who want only to be seen and praised, Q.107:4-6


Prophet said

1. “The thing I fear most for you is the lesser polytheism.” They asked: O Messenger of God: What is the lesser polytheism? He replied, “Showing-off.”-- H: Ahmad and Baihaqi. N: Mahmud bin Labeed.

2. “Should I tell you what I fear for you more than a false christ?” They said: Indeed, yes (O Apostle of God). He said, “Concealed polytheism, as when one improves performance of salaat (prayer) knowing that others are watching.” – H: Ahmed. N: Abu Sa’eed.

3. According to a lengthy Hadith quoted by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah, God will make null and void the actions of those who were regarded in this world as martyr, learned and philanthropist because their true motive was to make a show of their abilities.

2.31. SHOWING-OFF (HYPOCRISY) to be continued

God says

O you who believe! Do not deprive your charitable deeds of all worth by stressing your own benevolence and hurting [the feelings of the needy], as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen and be praised by men, and believes not in God and the Last Day: Q.2:264

For, whatever you may spend on others, or whatever you may vow [to spend], verily, God knows it; and those who do wrong [by withholding charity] shall have none to succour them. Q.2:270

Think not that those who exult in what they have thus contrived, and who love to be praised for what they have not done – think not that they will escape suffering: for grievous suffering does await them [in the life to come] Q.3:188

Prophet said

1. “Whoever prays for show commits polytheism; whoever fasts for show commits polytheism; whoever gives charity for show commits polytheism.” – H: Ahmed. N: Shaddab-b-Aus.

2. “…(it is) secret polytheism that a man would stand up to pray and then prolong his prayers so that he may be noticed by men.”– H: Ibn Majah. N: Abu Sa’eed.

3. “Seek refuge to God from the valley of grief.” They asked: O Messenger of God! What is the valley of grief? He replied, “A valley in hell from which hell itself seeks refuge 400 times a day.” They asked: O Messenger of God! Who will enter it? He said, “Readers of the Qur’an (i.e., Muslims) who are ostentatious in their deeds.” – H: Tirmizi and Ibn Majah. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.30. EXTRAVAGANCE

God says

….eat of their fruit when it comes to fruition, and give [unto the poor] their due on harvest day. And do not waste [God’s bounties]: He does not love the wasteful! -- Q.6:141

O children of Adam! Beautify yourselves for every act of worship ; and eat and drink [freely], but do not waste: verily, He does not love the wasteful! -- Q. 7:31

…. give his due to near of kin, as well as to the needy and the wayfarer, but do not squander [thy substance] senselessly.* Behold, the squanderers are, indeed, of the ilk [lit., “brethren”] of satans – inasmuch as Satan has proved to be most ungrateful to his Sustainer. -- Q.17:26,27
*It is to be borne in mind that the term tabdheer does not relate to the quantity but, rather, to the purpose of one’s spending. Thus, both Ibn Abbas and ibn Masud (both of them quoted by Tabari) defined tabdheer as “spending without a righteous purpose” or “in a frivolous (baatil) cause”: and Mujahid is reported to have said, “If a man were to spend all that he possesses in a righteous cause, it could not be termed as squandering; but if he spends even a small amount in a frivolous cause, it is squandering.”

Yet we should remember verse 17:29 “And neither allow thy hand to remain shackled to thy neck (like a miser), nor stretch it forth to the utmost limit [of thy capacity], lest thou find thyself blamed [by thy dependents], or even destitute.” Also verse 25:67 “[the servants of Most Gracious are] those who, when they spend on others are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes).”

Prophet said

1. “(God disliked that you) squander possessions”– H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Mughirah.

2. The Holy Prophet passed by Sa`ad while he was performing ablution and asked, “Why this extravagance?” Sa`ad enquired: Is there any extravagance in ablution? “Yes” said the Prophet, “Even though you may be doing it from a flowing rivulet.”-- H: Ahmed and Ibn Majah. N: Abdullah-b-Amr-b-al-‘Aas

Conservation of resources is stressed in Islam even if a resource is in plenty, as can be seen by the above verses as well as Prophet’s sayings.
Today the world is crying for conservation of food, water and energy. Muslims are bound by their belief to take the lead and set an example, wherever they are. It is their religious duty.

2.29. MISERLINESS (concluded)

God says

. …he who acts niggardly [in God’s cause] is but niggardly towards his own self: for God is indeed self-sufficient, whereas you stand in need [of Him]; and if you turn away [from Him], He will cause other people to take your place, and they will not be the likes of you! -- Q.47: 38

But as for him who is niggardly, and thinks that he is self-sufficient, and calls the ultimate good a lie – for him shall We make easy the path towards hardship: and what will his wealth avail him when he goes down [to his grave]. -- Q.92: 8 -11

[woe unto] those who want only to be seen [praying] and praised, but refuse [to supply even] neighbourly needs. -- Q.107:6,7

Prophet said

1. “…the charitable man who even though may be illiterate is dearer to God than the miser even though he may be pious” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Hurairah.

2. “(The worst of men is) he who is begged off in the name of God but who does not give for Him” – H: Tirmizi, Ahmed and Nisai. N: Ibn ‘Abbas.

3. “The charity of a silver coin in one’s lifetime is better than his charity of one hundred coins at the time of his death" – H: Abu Daud. N: Abu Sayeed.

Restraining of ones hand where expense is necessary means miserliness; and to spend where restraint is necessary is extravagance: both are disallowed.

2.29. MISERLINESS

God says

And they should not think – they who niggardly cling to all that God has granted them out of His bounty – that this is good for them: nay. It is bad for them.* That to which they [so] niggardly cling will, on the Day of Resurrection, be hung about their necks: for unto God [alone] belongs the heritage of the heavens and of the earth; and God is aware of all that you do. -- Q.3:180
* This is an allusion to the way of life of the unbelievers mentioned in the earlier verse 3: 179: a way or life characterized by extreme attachment to the material things of this world – a materialism based on a lack of belief in anything that transcends the practical problem of life.

[God loves not] those who are niggardly or enjoin niggardliness on others, or hide the bounties which God has bestowed on them… Q.4:37

Make not your hand tied [like a niggard’s] to your neck… Q.17:29

Prophet said

1. “Beware of miserliness because it destroyed those who were before you” --
H: Muslim. N: Jabir.

2. “There are two traits that are not present in a believer: miserliness and bad conduct.” -- Tirmizi. N: Abu Sayeed.

3. “…Miser is far off from God, from paradise, from people, and is near hell” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.28. ASPECTS OF CHARITY (concluded)

God says

…. And spend on others out of what We have provided for you as sustenance,* ere there come a time when death approaches any of you, and he then says, “O my Sustainer! If only Thou wouldst grant me a delay for a short while so that I could give in charity and be among the righteous!” But never does God grant a delay to a human being when his term has come; and God is fully aware of all that you do.- Q.63:10-11
*Ar-rizq (“provision of sustenance”) applies to all that may be of benefit to
man whether it be concrete (like food, property, offspring, etc.) or abstract (like
knowledge, piety etc.). It is precisely in selfless acts of spending that true piety
comes in its full fruition.
The context of the verse lays emphasis on helping now, now that we can.

Let him who has ample means spend in accordance with his amplitude; and let him whose means of subsistence are scanty spend in accordance with what God has given him: God does not burden any human being with more than He has given him -- [and it may well be that] God will grant, after hardship, ease. -- Q.65:7

Prophet said

1. “Do not regard any good deed too humble even if it be (as small as) meeting a brother(i.e, any Muslim) with cheerful countenance’ – H: Muslim. N: Abu Zarr.

2. Sa`ad-b-Ubaidah enquired: O Messenger of God! The mother of Sa`ad has died; so which charity is best? The Prophet replied, “Water”. Then Sa`ad excavated a well and said: this is for the mother of Sa`ad.’ – H: Abu Daud and Nisai. N: Sa`ad-b-Ubaidah.

3. “A man whom God did not provide wealth or knowledge but whose (sincere)
intention is to have done the (charitable) work of such and such (benevolent rich) had he the riches (then) rewards of both are equal.” – H: Tirmizi. N: Kabshah al-Anmariy.
Quite obviously, without wealth or knowledge it was beyond him to do what he desired even if he had tried very hard for it. On the other hand if one had the ability to try; tried but could not succeed, even then the rewards will be equal.

4. Bibi Ayeshah reported that people sacrificed a goat. The Messenger of God asked, “Is there anything left (after giving away in charity).” She said: Nothing remained except the shoulder. He said, “Everything remains except the shoulder.”-- H: Tirmizi.

(The above reminds one of an old saying: What you gave, you have; what you spent, you had; what you saved, you lost.)