“WASTE NOT WANT NOT” RAMADHAN REFORM

by karimah bint dawoud

karimahscuisina@live.co.uk

AS SALAAM ALAIKUM HONEYS,

I was always brought up with the proverbs ” waste not want not” and ” cut your cloth according to your means”.

I have to say at this point to those us us who have a tendency towards stinginess, being careful of ones resources is not the same as being stingy.

 

Definition of Stinginess 

http://askaquestionto.us/question-answer/morals/what-is-stinginess

Stingy literally means “not generous, unwilling to spend; miser” In Islamic sources, Quran and hadith, it is generally expressed with the Arabic words “shuhh” and “bukhl”. 
Stinginess has levels. The last level is man’s depriving himself from what he needs and not spending anything even for his own need. 
A stingy person is reluctant to spend money, sometimes tosuch an extent that heforgoes even basic comforts and necessities. A stingy refrains from giving others because of his excessive love for money and property. 

In Islam Allah hates stingy misers as is mentioned in the QURAN

   Surah Al-i’Imran : Ayat 180

And let not those who are niggardly with respect to what Allah has given them out of His bounty think that it is good for them; on the contrary it is bad for them. Soon that for which they were niggardly shall be their necklace on the Day of Resurrection. And only Allah is the Heir of heavens and earth and Allah is aware of your doings.

Stinginess is also mentioned in the hadith /authentic relgious saying observations of what the Prophet Muhammed (salah la lah alaihi wa saelm) said

Stinginess is one of the most evil traits 

“The most evil (traits) in a man are: severe stinginess and uninhibited cowardice.” [Sunan Abu Dawud]

Stinginess cannot be a trait of a believer 

“There are two traits which cannot exist in a believer. They are stinginess and low ethics.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd 8) 

Stinginess is the worst disease 

“What disease is worse than stinginess?” (Sahih Bukhari) (Tabarani/ Cam-ul Fawaid) 

Stinginess is the trait which Allah dislikes 

Narrated Abu Dharr (ra): 
“Allah (swt) likes and dislikes three groups of people… Allah dislikes the adulterer old, the stingy and the arrogant.” (İbn Hıbban / Tergıb ve Terhib) 
Narrated Ali (ra): 
“Allah (swt) dislikes the one who is stingy in his lifetime but generous at the moment of death.” (Hatib) 

Miserliness is one of the traits that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) seeks refuge in Allah (swt) 

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet used to say, “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by (other) men.” (Bukhari)  

So with this is mind, I am off to sit at the feet of Professor Ali from the Shariah Council, a graduate of Al Azhar University in Egypt, to listen to  what he has to say  from Quran and Sunnah about the subject of waste.

Inshallah I will post my notes later, I have previously posted an article  on ZHUD which is also worth reading to get that balance between stinginess ans extravagance inshallah.