The Excellence of Moderation

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said, ’One should spend moderately to a sufficient limit and send the extra for his next life. This is a better conservation of bounties, closer to its increase from Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, and more beneficial for good health (or consequences).’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that moderation is a matter that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, loves, and extravagance is a thing that Allah hates. It applies even to one’s throwing the stone inside the piece of a date; it can be useful for something, and to throwing the leftover of what you drink.’”

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘They ask you about what should spend (for the sake of Allah). Say, “It is disregarding. . .’” (2: 219), Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The word “al-‘Afw (disregarding)” refers to spending moderately.’”

“’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said, ‘Moderation leads to increase, and extravagance leads to destruction.’”

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said, the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Three things work as means of salvation for a person and he described moderation, in both poverty and financial well-being, to be one of such means.’”

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘I guarantee safety from poverty in favor of one who observes moderation (in spending).”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that all kinds of one’s spending for the sake of Allah, on any one of His causes, is not a good or successful spending. Allah, the most High says, ‘You must not throw yourselves in perdition. Do good; Allah loves those who do good.’ (2:195) “Doers of good” refers to those who observe moderation in spending.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘O ‘Ubayd, excessive spending causes poverty but moderation leads to wealth.’”

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), once said, ‘With moderation, one does not suffer poverty.’”

“Once, I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘On our way to Makkah, we wanted to wear the special dress for Ihram (a certain act of Hajj), but we did not have proper material for shaving, and we did not have bran or flour to use in place of lime. We used flour for this purpose. Allah knows that I had a strange feeling about it.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Was your strange feeling for excessive spending?’ I replied, ‘Yes, that is true.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘There is not anything excessive in what is spent for the wellbeing of the body. I sometimes ask (my people) to mix marrow with oil to use for shaving. Excessive spending is when something that one owns is wasted and the body is harmed.’ I then asked, ‘What is living in austerity?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is living on bread and salt only, when you are able to use other food.’ I then asked, ‘What is moderation?’ He replied, ‘It is moderation when you use bread, meat, vinegar and oil; one time this and next time the other.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, gives to you generously, be generous to yourselves; when He withholds, you should also do so, but do not try to surpass Him; He is more generous than you are.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Whoever maintains moderation, Allah grants him sustenance, but He deprives one who spends excessively.’”

“I heard abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), say, ‘Easing off in spending is half of one’s sustenance, and with observance of moderation, one does not become poor.’”