Eat and drink and be not extravagant

Wasting and squandering

Every wasting in foods, drinks and cloths and also in love and relations with the others is a result of loving the worldly life. Even excessive liberality in giving is a kind of squandering. Squandering is a bad and ugly deed according to the Qur'an and the traditions.

Allah declares in the Qur'an that He does not love the wasters and the squanderers;

“…and eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.” Qur'an, 7:31

One, who spends what Allah has granted him in unreasonable ways, is considered as a waster according to the Qur'an. The wasters are the brothers of the Satan as Allah has said,

“Surely the squanderers are the brothers of the Satan and the Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.” Qur'an, 17:27

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘The marks of a waster are four; (mental) blindness, inadvertence, heedlessness and forgetfulness.’[1]

‘It is wasting to eat all what you like.’[2]

Imam al-Askari (s) has said, ‘Generosity has a limit and if it exceeds the limit, it becomes wasting.’[3]

Imam Ali (s) has said, ‘Woe unto the waster! How far he is from reforming himself and managing his affairs!’[4]

Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said, ‘A waster has three signs; he buys what is not his,[5] wears what is not his and eats what is not his.’[6]

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘Temperance is something that Allah loves and wasting is something that He hates. Even your throwing a kernel away (is a kind of wasting) because it can be useful for something and even pouring away the leftover of your drink (is a kind of wasting).’[7]

Imam Musa bin Ja’far al-Kadhim (s) has said, ‘Whoever has money let him beware of corruption! Your giving the money in other than its right way is wasting and squandering. It honors its keeper among people but dishonors him near Allah.’[8]

Cheating

Cheating, deceiving and trickery in dealing with people are vices and bad morals. They are among the signs of hypocrisy and aggression against the others.

The Qur'an has talked about cheating especially in the verses concerning economical affairs and the traditions have talked about it in details.

There is no doubt that cheating according to the Qur'an and the Divine teachings is a prohibited doing, unlawful behavior and treason against people.

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘A Muslim is a brother of a Muslim. It is not permissible to a Muslim when selling something to his brother not to show its defects.’[9]

‘Whoever cheats the Muslims will be resurrected with the Jews on the Day of Resurrection because they are the utmost cheaters to the Muslims.’[10]

‘He, who sells some defected goods without showing the defect, will be still under the detestation of Allah and the angels will still curse him.’[11]

Ameerul Mo'mineen (s) has said, ‘He, who cheats the people in their religion, is resisting Allah and His messenger.’[12]

He has also said, ‘The greatest betrayal is betraying the umma and the most horrible cheating is cheating the umma.’[13]

Usury

Usury is the fact of lending money at interest. It is also practiced with goods; for example by selling a certain kind of food for the same kind but of another quality with taking some more of the unwanted kind. For example, one may sell ten kilos of bad wheat, rice or dates for eight kilos of the same good kinds. This is also usury.

Usury is prohibited and it is one of the major sins which Allah has threatened in His book of severe torment for this doing on the Day of Resurrection.

“O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and relinquish what remains (due) from usury, if you are believers. But if you do (it) not, then be apprised of war from Allah and His Messenger.” Qur'an, 2:278-279

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘The worst of gaining is the gaining of usury.’[14]

‘Whoever eats from usury Allah will fill his abdomen with the fire of Hell as much as he has eaten. Nothing of his deeds will be accepted and he will be still cursed by Allah and the angels as long as he has a carat (of usury).’[15]

‘A dirham of usury is greater near Allah than committing adultery seventy times with one’s mahram[16] in the House of Allah (the Kaaba).’[17]

‘Allah the Almighty has cursed the eater of usury, the giver, the clerk and the two witnesses.’[18]

Causes of perishment

The Qur'an in many verses has talked about the perishment of the nations and the torments they have been afflicted with due to different reasons.

Pondering on these verses that have been mentioned in many suras of the Qur'an educates man, ripens his soul and intellect and teaches him how to avoid meanness and perishment.

The Qur'an sees that being unjust to oneself and to others, wasting, disbelief, denying the truth, debauchery, tyranny, inadvertence and crime are the causes of the perishment of the ancient nations and the torments that have overcome them.[19]

The Prophet (s) has said, ‘The perishing things are obeyed stinginess, followed fancy and self-deceit.’[20]

‘The dirham and the dinar (greediness for wealth) have perished the nations before you and they will perish you too.’[21]

Ameerul Mo'mineen (s) has said, ‘He, who sticks obstinately to his own opinion, will perish.’[22]

‘He, who does not know himself, will perish.’[23]

Imam as-Sadiq (s) has said, ‘Allah perishes six for six; the rulers for injustice, the Arabs for fanaticism, the wealthy for pride, the merchants for treason, the common people for ignorance and the scholars for envy.’[24]