Spending – How much and where to spend

We have to be moderate in our spending, neither too extravagant nor stingy, but moderate! What is moderation? Imam^-asws says: spend from those (savings) after deducting the expenses for the (whole) year.  So one must first ensure that he/she has secured the expenses for the next twelve months and then one may spend (on others) from the excess.  Then questions come to one’s mind where to spend and how to spend? We present some Ahadith below in this short article.

محمد بن يعقوب: عن علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن رجل، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام). في قوله عز و جل: وَ يَسْئَلُونَكَ ما ذا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ. قال: «العفو: الوسط».

Muhammad Bin Yaqoub, from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from a man,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^-asws regarding the Words of the Mighty and Majestic: And they are asking you what they should be spending. Say: ‘The surplus’ [2:219]. He^-asws said: ‘The surplus – the middle (neither too much nor too little)’.[1]

عن عبد الرحمن، قال: سألت أبا عبد الله (عليه السلام) عن قوله: وَ يَسْئَلُونَكَ ما ذا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ. قال: «الَّذِينَ إِذا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَ لَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَ كانَ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ قَواماً – قال-: نزلت هذه بعد هذه، هي الوسط». تفسير العيّاشي

From Abdul Rahman who said, ‘I asked Abu Abdullah^-asws about His^-azwj Words: And they are asking you what they should be spending. Say: ‘The surplus’ [2:219]. He^-asws said: ‘And those, when they are spending are neither extravagant nor are they stingy, and they are And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, and they happen to be moderate between that [25:67]. He^-asws said: ‘This was Revealed after this. It is the moderation’’.[2]

عن يوسف، عن أبي عبد الله، أو أبي جعفر (عليهما السلام)، في قوله تعالى: وَ يَسْئَلُونَكَ ما ذا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ. قال: «الكفاف».

From Yusuf, from Abu Abdullah^-asws or Abu Ja’far^-asws regarding the Words of the Exalted: And they are asking you what they should be spending. Say: ‘The surplus’ [2:219]. He^-asws said: ‘The subsistence’.

و في رواية أبي بصير: «القصد».

And in a report of Abu Baseer, ‘(He^-asws said): ‘The moderate (amount)’’.[3]

و عنه، قال: و عن أبي جعفر الباقر (عليه السلام): «العفو: ما فضل عن قوت السنة».

And from him, who said, ‘And from Abu Ja’far Al Baqir^-asws (having said): ‘‘The surplus’ [2:219] – is what is the excess from the provision of the year’’.[4]

Where to Spend:

فَمِنْ ثَمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) خَمْسُ تَمَرَاتٍ أَوْ خَمْسُ قُرَصٍ أَوْ دَنَانِيرُ أَوْ دَرَاهِمُ يَمْلِكُهَا الْإِنْسَانُ وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُمْضِيَهَا فَأَفْضَلُهَا مَا أَنْفَقَهُ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى وَالِدَيْهِ ثُمَّ الثَّانِيَةُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَ عِيَالِهِ ثُمَّ الثَّالِثَةُ عَلَى قَرَابَتِهِ الْفُقَرَاءِ ثُمَّ الرَّابِعَةُ عَلَى جِيرَانِهِ الْفُقَرَاءِ ثُمَّ الْخَامِسَةُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ هُوَ أَخَسُّهَا أَجْر

Thus, Rasool-Allah^-saww said: ‘Five dates, or five discs (of bread), or five Dinars or Dirhams which the human being owns, and he wants to spend these, so the most superior of what the human being can spend upon are his parents. Then secondly upon himself and his family. Then thirdly upon his poor relatives. Then fourthly upon his poor neighbours. Then fifthly in the Way of Allah^-azwj, and it is of the lowest Recompense. (An extract).[5]

Abhorrence for the ‘Buy now and Pay Later’ Approach:

. ورُوي أنّ أُسامة بن زيد اشترى وَليدةً بمائة دينارٍ إلى شهرٍ، فسمع رسول الله صلي الله عليه و اله و سلم فقال: ألا تَعجبون مِن أُسامة المشتري إلى شهرٍ! إنّ أُسامة لطويل الأمل، والّذي نفسي بيده ما طرفت عيناي إلا ظننت أنّ شفري لا يلتقيان حتّى يقبض الله روحي، ولا رفعت طرفي وظننتُ أنّي خافضه حتّى أُقبَض، ولا لقمتُ لقمةً إلا ظننتُ أنّي لا أُسيغها لحصرتها مِن الموت.

ثمّ قال: يا بَني آدم، إنْ كنتم تعقلون فعدّوا أنفسكم مِن الموتى، والّذي نفسي بيده ]إنَّ ما تُوُعَدُونَ لَآتٍ وَما أنْتُمْ بِمُعْجِزينَ.[

It has been narrated that Osama ibn Zayd bought a maid for one hundred Dinars to be paid off in one month. When the Rasool Allah^-saww heard this, he^-saww was amazed and said: “Are you not surprised that Osama has made a one month deal? He has high aspirations. I^-saww swear by the One who possesses control over my^-saww life that I^-saww never open my^-saww eyes without thinking that I^-saww will die before I^-saww can close them again.

I^-saww never look up without thinking that I^-saww will die before I^-saww can lower my^-saww eyes to look down. Whenever I^-saww pick up a bite to eat, I^-saww never think that I^-saww can manage to eat it since I^-saww might die.”

He^-saww then added: “O’ Children of Adam! Prepare yourselves for death if you are wise. I^-saww swear by the Lord who possesses the control over my^-saww life: “Surely what you are Threatened with would come, and you would not be escaping (it) [6:134].[6]

Over-Spending (Israf)

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) أَدْنَى مَا يَجِي‏ءُ مِنْ حَدِّ الْإِسْرَافِ فَقَالَ ابْتِذَالُكَ ثَوْبَ صَوْنِكَ وَ إِهْرَاقُكَ فَضْلَ إِنَائِكَ وَ أَكْلُكَ التَّمْرَ وَ رَمْيَكَ النَّوَى هَاهُنَا وَ هَاهُنَا .

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Al Husayn, from Muhammad Bin Ismail Bin Bazie, from Salih Bin Uqba, from Suleyman Bin Salih who said,

‘I said to Abu Abdullah^-asws, ‘The lowest of what comes from a limit of the extravagance?’ So he^-asws said: ‘Your abuse of your worn out clothes, and your burning of the excess in your utensils, and your eating the dates and throwing the cores over here and over here’.[7]

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجَوْهَرِيِّ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْأَحْوَلِ قَالَ تَلَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ وَ الَّذِينَ إِذا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَ لَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَ كانَ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ قَواماً قَالَ فَأَخَذَ قَبْضَةً مِنْ حَصًى وَ قَبَضَهَا بِيَدِهِ فَقَالَ هَذَا الْإِقْتَارُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ ثُمَّ قَبَضَ قَبْضَةً أُخْرَى فَأَرْخَى كَفَّهُ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذَا الْإِسْرَافُ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ قَبْضَةً أُخْرَى فَأَرْخَى بَعْضَهَا وَ أَمْسَكَ بَعْضَهَا وَ قَالَ هَذَا الْقَوَامُ .

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Abu Abdullah, from his father, from Al Qasim Bin Muhammad Al Jowhary, from Jameel Bin Salih, from Abdul Malik Bin Amro Al Ahowl who said,

‘Abu Abdullah^-asws recited this verse [25:67] And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but with moderation. So he^-asws grabbed a handful of pebbles and captured these in his^-asws hand, and he^-asws said: ‘This is the miserliness which Allah^-azwj Mentions in His^-azwj book’. Then he^-asws grabbed another handful, so he^-asws opened his^-asws palm, all of it, then said: ‘This is the extravagance’. Then he^-asws grabbed another handful, so he^-asws opened part of it and withheld part of it and said, ‘This is the moderation’.[8]

What harms the body and destroys wealth is from Extravagance (Israf):

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) عَنِ التَّدَلُّكِ بِالدَّقِيقِ بَعْدَ النُّورَةِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ قُلْتُ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ إِسْرَافٌ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ فِيمَا أَصْلَحَ الْبَدَنَ إِسْرَافٌ إِنِّي رُبَّمَا أَمَرْتُ بِالنَّقِيِّ فَيُلَتُّ لِي بِالزَّيْتِ فَأَتَدَلَّكُ بِهِ إِنَّمَا الْإِسْرَافُ فِيمَا أَتْلَفَ الْمَالَ وَ أَضَرَّ بِالْبَدَنِ .

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Usman Bin Isa, from Is’haq Bin Abdul Aziz who said,

‘Abu Abdullah^-asws was asked about the massaging with the flour (mixed with oil) after Al-Noura (removal of unwanted hair), so he^-asws said: ‘There is no problem’. I said, ‘They (people) are alleging that it is an extravagance’. So he^-asws said: ‘There is no extravagance in the correction (well-being) of the body. Sometimes I order with the pure (flour), so it is mixed for me^-asws with the oil, so I massage with it.

But rather, the extravagance is in what is destruction of the wealth and harmful for the body’.[9]

[1] الكافي 4: 52/ 3.

[2] 1: 106/ 315.

[3] تفسير العيّاشي 1: 106/ 316 و 317.

[4] مجمع البيان 2: 558.

[5] Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Subsistence Ch 1 H 1

[6] Mishkat, H. 415.

[7] Al Kafi – V 4 – The Book of Zakat Ch 81 H 10

[8] Al Kafi – V 4 – The Book of Zakat Ch 81 H 1

[9] Al Kafi – V 6 – The Book of Outfits and the Beautification and the Magnanimity Ch 43 H 14