The Sixth Point

There is a great difference between frugality and miserliness. Just as humility is a praiseworthy virtue that outwardly resembles servility while being entirely different from it, and just as dignity is a commendable quality that may superficially resemble arrogance while differing from it in essence, so too frugality—which was among the noble qualities of the Prophet (saw)Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) and is indeed one of the principles upon which the Divine wisdom governing the order of the universe depends—bears no relation to miserliness, which is a mixture of baseness, avarice, greed, and covetousness. Their resemblance is merely superficial.

The following incident confirms this reality.

Abdullāh ibn UmarThe distinguished Companion of the Prophet and son of Umar ibn al-Khattāb, renowned for his scholarship and devotion., one of the famous seven Companions known as the “Seven Abdullahs,” was the eldest and most distinguished son of Umar al-FārūqThe title of Umar ibn al-Khattāb, meaning “the distinguisher between truth and falsehood.”, the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah (saw)Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him), and was among the foremost scholars of the Companions.

One day, while negotiating over an item in the marketplace worth only a few coins, he disputed earnestly in order to practise frugality and preserve the trustworthiness and integrity that are the very foundation and spirit of commerce. Another Companion witnessed this exchange and imagined that the son of the illustrious Caliph was displaying an extraordinary degree of miserliness over such a trivial amount. Curious to understand the reason, he decided to follow him.

He observed Abdullah returning to his blessed home, where he encountered a poor man at the entrance. Abdullah spent some time speaking with him before the man departed. He then exited through another door and met a second poor man, with whom he likewise spent some time before the man went on his way.

The observing Companion’s curiosity grew. He approached each of the poor men separately and asked, “The Imam stood with you for a while. What did he do?” Both replied, “He gave me a gold coin.”

The Companion exclaimed, “FasubhānAllāhAn expression meaning “Glory be to Allah!” used to express amazement or astonishment.!” and thought to himself: “How remarkable! In the marketplace he disputed so intensely over a few coins, yet afterward he quietly gave away two gold coins at his home without letting anyone know.”

Soon afterward, he approached Abdullāh ibn UmarThe distinguished Companion of the Prophet and son of Umar ibn al-Khattāb, renowned for his scholarship and devotion. and said, “O Imam, resolve this difficulty for me. Why did you behave one way in the marketplace and another at home?”

Abdullah replied:

“What I did in the marketplace arose not from miserliness but from frugality. It was prompted by sound judgment and by the desire to preserve trustworthiness and integrity, which are the very foundation and spirit of commerce. What I did at home arose from the compassion of the heart and the perfection of the soul. The first was not stinginess, and the second was not extravagance.”

Imām Azam“The Greatest Imam”; the honorific title of Abū Hanīfah, the eminent Muslim jurist and founder of the Hanafī school of Islamic law. alluded to this principle with the saying:

لَا اِسْرَافَ فِى الْخَيْرِ كَمَا لَا خَيْرَ فِى الْاِسْرَافِThere is no extravagance in doing good, just as there is no good in extravagance.

That is, “Just as there is no extravagance in goodness and generosity—provided they are directed toward those who deserve them—so too there is no goodness whatsoever in extravagance.”