Frugality

The Third Consequence

Greed undermines ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. and corrupts deeds performed for the Hereafter. For when a God-conscious person succumbs to greed, he begins to seek the approval and admiration of others. And one who seeks the approval of people cannot attain perfect ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status.. This consequence is of great importance and deserves careful attention.

In short, extravagance leads to dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction destroys a person’s endeavour and enthusiasm for work, fosters laziness, opens the door to complaining about life, and results in constant grievance. It also undermines ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. and opens the door to riyāDisplaying piety to impress others rather than seeking Allah’s pleasure; the opposite of ikhlās.. Moreover, it erodes a person’s sense of dignity and sets him on the path of dependence upon others.

Frugality, on the other hand, gives rise to contentment. According to the wisdom expressed in the hadithA report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh).,

عَزَّ مَنْ قَنَعَ ذَلَّ مَنْ طَمَعَContentment brings honor, while greed brings humiliation.

“Whoever is content is honoured, and whoever is greedy is humiliated,”

contentment preserves and strengthens a person’s dignity and self-respect.

Furthermore, frugality encourages people to work and strengthens their motivation. For example, if someone spends a day working and is content with the modest wage he receives that evening, the spirit of contentment will inspire him to return to work with renewed willingness the following day. A spendthrift, however, driven by dissatisfaction, may not return to work at all. And even if he does, he will do so without enthusiasm.

Likewise, the contentment that springs from frugality opens the door to gratitude and closes the door to complaint. A person who adopts frugality as a principle of life will continually give thanks to Allah. Because contentment frees him from dependence upon others, he will neither seek their approval nor look to them with expectation. Thus, the door to ikhlāsSincerity in worship, seeking only the pleasure of Allah and avoiding the pursuit of fame or status. is opened, while the door to riyāDisplaying piety to impress others rather than seeking Allah’s pleasure; the opposite of ikhlās. remains closed.

Once, I witnessed on a broad scale the grave harms and destructive consequences of extravagance.

Nine years ago, I visited a blessed city during the winter, when I was unable to observe its sources of prosperity. The mufti of that city—may Allah have mercy upon him—repeatedly remarked to me, “Our people are poor.” His words stirred deep compassion within me, and for five or six years I continued to feel heartfelt sympathy for its inhabitants.

Eight years later, I visited the same city again during the summer. As I looked upon its gardens, I remembered the late mufti’s words and exclaimed to myself, “FasubhānAllāhAn expression meaning “Glory be to Allah!” used to express amazement or astonishment.! The produce of these gardens alone should be more than sufficient to provide for the entire city. Its people ought to be remarkably prosperous.”

Reflecting on this experience, which guided me to the truth, I came to understand that the abundance of that place had been stripped away because of extravagance. That explained why the mufti had described its people as poor despite the existence of such immense sources of wealth.