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What Is Israf?
Does israf necessarily hold arrogance? EG I buy expensive pens- they write almost the same (a bit better) than you ordinary pens but I just like the feeling of them. Is this israf? What bout buying super cars- it does the same thing as any other car 99% of the time. What about branded clothes?
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19 Replies
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What Is Israf?
updated 3 years, 6 months ago
4 Members
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19
Replies
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Israf means extravagance or to be wasteful. The word israf is used at several instances in the Quran, out of which I am reproducing one below in order to relate the meaning:
Quran 7:31
Translation by Asad
O CHILDREN of Adam! Beautify yourselves for every act of worship, and eat and drink [freely], but do not waste: verily, He does not love the wasteful!
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So super cars and expensive pens are allowed as long as it doesn’t lead to arrogance right?
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Please refer to the video below from 48:32 to 51:05
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I don’t get it. Someone has millions so he spends all his money willy nilly on cars, houses, clothes etc.
But since he is a millionaire and humans like to beautiful it should be allowed?
There is no line then. Everyone will say I like fine writing instruments and have the money to spend on it
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Its between him and His God, focus on yourself instead of what others spend or don’t spend.
You as a person should not do extravagance which you in your heart know is israf.
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I don’t get it though that’s the point. Anything is extravagance. There has to be a reason for it to be extravagant. Or is it relative. Me eating expensive food is fine because I can afford it but would be israf for a homeless person? This seems like it’s turning into managing financial assets rather than something to do with morality
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Is something extravagant when you simply can’t afford it sustainably?
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No, something is extravagant when YOU KNOW that it’s extravagant. Every person’s scale of extravagance could be different depending upon their resources, responsibilities, cultural norms, etc.
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I simply don’t get extravagance. I want to it course always have the best thing and will never think it is extravagant.
‘exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate; excessive or elaborate.’
This is what extravagant means.
Extravagance then, is anything more than just a plain simple t shirt
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If that’s what you think, then that’s your limit! I’ll PM you my address – send over everything in excess of your T-shirt, and I’ll be sure to put it to good use! 😂😂
On a serious note, you’re not alone – everyone wants the best that they can get. But one must be mindful of their resources, present and future responsibilities, any dire needs of others, cultural norms, etc. and get what they believe is reasonable. There can’t be a set scale of extravagance – it will always vary in time and space.
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🤣🤣
‘mindful of their resources, present and future responsibilities, any dire needs of others, cultural norms, etc.’
So it does seem to be just handling financial assets. I can’t a afford a Bugatti so I should take a massive loan and buy one. I can’t afford to buy 10 Rolexes because of later future needs and family so I shouldn’t. Otherwise there is nothing wrong if it is sustainable.
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The keyword is reasonable, and that will vary from person to person, product to product, situation to situation. Whatever we do in life must be justifiable, and spending is not any different.
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Is there any example of someone just wasting money? They obviously only spend on the things they find justifiable. No one will buy something that they don’t think their money is worth
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Everyone shelling out $1200 for an iPhone 12!
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But then if someone holds an interest in the latest tech (of course this is a situation) then this won’t be israf right? Or if they buy it because it’s beautiful. Or because they simply want to keep up to date. Then this won’t be israf. I don’t think anyone will buy the iPhone 12 ‘just because’.
Unless wanting to keep up to date is unjustified
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I think this reply of Faisal sb is on spot.
“The keyword is reasonable, and that will vary from person to person, product to product, situation to situation.”
There is Islam and then Iman. So for every outer action (Islam), its only that individual who knows the level of Iman involved. Nobody can else can know on their behalf. So whether it becomes an issue of managing financial assets like you rightly mentioned above, the spirit has to be kept alive and that only and only depends upon your level of introspection, reflection etc.
So what you asked about iPhone 12 and btw, this is your husn e zann to believe that nobody buys its ‘just because.’ You visit Pakistan every year, don’t you 😅
Whether they want to buy it because its beautiful, or they hold interest in it or they want to keep updated etc. They would or rather they should consider a looot of things before only selfish reasons. Family, relatives, surroundings and a couple of other factors that only they themselves would know better than anyone.
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However, one also needs to be reminding themselves always that the difference is going to remain because God Himself has kept it that way to test us. This to me is a very important reminder, because I get frustrated on this particular side a lot of the times because I live in Pakistan 😉 very few people are saved from this disease here and most of the things are done ‘just because.’
But what is important is to educate people around you in your circles and teach them the book of God. Only then can the mindsets change. Of both the parties, those spending and those who are comprised. And even those who are comprised won’t feel anything because of that level of Iman that they’d know these material things don’t matter at all.
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He covers both the points and this is the perfect balance one should have in their mind.
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