All praise is due to Allah. It is known to all Muslims that in Islam, 'Israf' and ' Tabdhir' are prohibited. Israf means 'extravagance' and Tabdhir means 'wastefulness'. Any form of 'Israf' and 'Tabdhir' is forbidden. Whoever does this, in the words of the Qur'an- he is the brother of Satan. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran-

وَ لَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِیْرًا، اِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِیْنَ كَانُوْۤا اِخْوَانَ الشَّیٰطِیْنِ وَ كَانَ الشَّیْطٰنُ لِرَبِّهٖ كَفُوْرًا.

And do not squander recklessly. Surely, squanderers are brothers of satans, and the Satan is very ungrateful to his Lord. -Surah Bani Israel (17): 26-27

Allah Ta'ala also instructs-

وَّ كُلُوْا وَ اشْرَبُوْا وَ لَا تُسْرِفُوْا اِنَّهٗ لَا یُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِیْنَ.

Eat and drink and do not be extravagant. Surely, He does not like the extravagant -Surah A‘Raf (7) : 31

Extravagance is not limited to the financial wealth alone; rather, it encompasses the misuse, abuse, and inappropriate use of the blessings bestowed by Allah. Extravagance includes exceeding the limits set by Allah in the utilization of any blessings bestowed by Allah, not fulfilling the prescribed rights, not adhering to the designated obligations, not paying the dues ordained by Allah, and not maintaining equity between fulfilling one's rights and infringing upon the rights of others. It also involves neglecting one's primary responsibilities for voluntary, non-obligatory expenses. In essence, all of these actions fall under the category of 'israf' or extravagance. From the preceding context of the mentioned verse, it can be understood that the forms of extravagance fall under the category of ‘Tabdhir’ that means ‘wastefulness’. Therefore, the warnings in the Quran against wastefulness are also applicable for extravagance.

However, just as there is wastage in foods, so is there in  clothing. Even using extra water during ablution and cleansing is wasteful. For this reason, it is very necessary to be aware of all the essentials related to wastage. It is also important to know which israf is absolutely impermissible, which one is makruh and where there are certain exemptions for those who are entitled to them.

It is true that, some forms of Israf are relative. That Means, though they may be israf for someone, they are rukhsat for someone else.

My intention is not to discuss issues of Israf in details. Rather, the intention is to narrate some events, so that our attention is focused on some forms of extravagance which we don't consider as israf while they and many other forms like them are included in Israf. We don’t feel bad about those forms of extravagance.

We are involved in various forms of wastefulness and extravagance, in our personal, familial, social, national, and even global levels. Some of these are so obvious that everyone understands it, and some are a bit unclear. But they are very dangerous. Therefore, conscious elders and scholars alert others about them. Here, I am mentioning only a few incidents-

1. In our childhood, our elders taught us that it is wasteful not to pick up food that has fallen while eating and let it go to waste.

2. When I was a student at Jamia-tul-Ulumil Islamia Bannuri Town, I noticed that after the obligatory prayers, especially after the Fajr prayer, many individuals engaged in recitation, remembrance of Allah, supplications, and voluntary acts of worship. They preferred to perform these acts in their respective places. Rashidul Hasan Rah., the Imam and Khateeb of the mosque, would advise them, 'Brothers, as you engage in recitation, remembrance, and supplications, please consider performing these acts sitting closer to each other. This way, there won't be a need to turn on different fans and lamps for each person separately.

3. While studying at Banuri Town Madrasa, I noticed that there is a facility for performing ablution (wudu) with taps on one side of the Mosque. On the other side, there is also a facility for making ablution with a water container (pitcher). I have observed that many people used the pitcher for ablution instead of taps because it is more convenient to conserve water.

4. When I enrolled at Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi for education, I observed the insightful guidance of Hadrat Mawlana Mufti Abdul Rauf Sakkharawi D.B. He would occasionally caution and, at times, stand at the wudu area to observe students' ablution. On some occasions, he would advise, 'Brother, use water moderately. Turn the tap on only during ablution (while washing body parts); otherwise, turn it off. Do not leave it open.' Some brothers couldn't understand the purpose of Hadrat's advice. They would say, 'Hadrat, I am performing ablution!' ! However, Hadrat's intention was to keep the tap closed while using Miswak, rubbing the organs of wudu and wiping over the head. There is no need to keep the tap turned on during these times!

5. At the end of Ramadan 1419 Hijri, I visited Madrasah Dawatul Haq Hardui, located in UP. I learned two important lessons along with many other issues-

a. In that place, a water pitcher is provided for ablution (wudu). Performing ablution with a pitcher reduces water wastage. The truth is, with careful use, a full-sized pitcher of water is not required for a complete ablution. During ablution, it is a Sunnah (recommended practice) to wash the ablution organs with a massaging technique known as 'dalak,' and washing these organs three times is known as 'taslees.' However, while doing 'dalak,' the water tap is opened in such a way that there is no existence of 'taslees'. The single wash becomes so long that if it is divided into several parts, it may possibly become several 'taslees.'

Alhamdulillah, in our country, we have observed the practice of performing ablution with a pitcher in several mosques. This is a practice worth adopting. However, if I see a pitcher or any other goods made by RFL, I feel very distressed. Because, for example, buying a pitcher from them means supporting them financially to promote Ilhad and Kufr of the Qadianism. A significant portion of this company's income is spent on the spread of the Qadiani religion. We are performing the worship of Allah, following the way of the Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, using such utensils, we are supporting those who are openly rebellious against Allah and the Prophet (peace be upon him)! I hope, we will be careful in this regard.

b. The second thing I saw in Hardui is that during Eid al-Fitr when the number of guests decreases, the guests are requested to stay in one room instead of staying in different rooms. When the number of guests decreases further, they are asked to stay closed to each other, so that one fan is enough for them instead of four fans in the four corners of the room.

There are many incidents like this. InshaAllah, I intend to present them to the reader at some other opportunity. May Allah Ta'ala grant us ability to learn from these educative incidents- Amen.

The servent Muhammad Abdul Malek
25 Rabi'ul Akhir, 1445 H.

Translation: Rasel Khan