Waste of Money The Sunday Guardian | June 6, 2010 | Page 10

There is a general tendency for those who earn money to believe that it is their own property. They feel that they can spend their money as they please without any restrictions from outside. This tendency was also prevalent in Arab society. With this background, the Quran in chapter Al-A’raf (The Heights) gives this general guidance.

O Children of Adam, dress yourself properly whenever you are not worship: and eat and drink but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people. (7:31)

Spending your money is not simply a matter of choice. There are other aspects to be considered. For example, if, by spending your money you take unhealthy food or unhealthy drink, it will destroy your physical fitness. You will cause your health and your activities in life too deteriorate. In fact, money has two different aspects -- the positive and the negative. Positive expenditure of money is undoubtedly good, but negative expenditure of money is bad.

Money is a great source of distraction, and it is this distraction that is called in the Quran, israf. Israf literally means going beyond all limits. When one indulges in israf, it will very soon become a habit and one will habitually go beyond limits in other matters also. And that will prove to be disastrous.

Money is a great asset for the earner. It helps him to live a better life. But when he fails to differentiate between positive expenditure and negative expenditure, it shows that he has become the slave of his desires, spending his money on such items that have no real benefit in life.

Spending money is like sowing a seed if the seed will bring you a good harvest, only then it is well worth sowing, otherwise it is better not saw it at all. The same is true of spending money as well.