BE CAREFUL AS NOT TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS EXTRAVAGANCE......

Jan 26, '13 12:58 PM for everyone

Consumption and profligacy are not only related to our personal selves and the money we squander on our own "luxuries" and "things" we want such as the latest cell-phones, TVs, cars, clothing, etc. Just ponder upon the amount of money, food, and other things which are wasted during "community" events! It is not only birthdays and weddings where people squander thousands of dollars, but even something as solemn as a funeral have become events of reckless spending! In addition, programs to mark the birth and death anniversaries of the Infallibles and other noble personalities are also drowned in the usage of hundreds if not thousands of dollars in extravagance. Now, we are not saying that we should not celebrate and commemorate such events, but rather, we need to draw the line between "love of the Ahlul Bayt" and "extravagance in the name of the Ahlul Bayt".

Some may be thinking, "Well, I am very well-off and am able to spend thousands of dollars on a lavish wedding for my children or in marking the birth anniversary of one of the Infallibles or in the pursuit of the latest gadgets, so why shouldn't I?" The answer to this question is that the traditions tell us that even if a person has unlimited resources at his disposal, he still needs to be careful not to gravitate towards extravagance, immoderation, and wastage!

Consider the time when the Noble Prophet saw Sa'd, one of his companions, performing the ritual ablution (Wudhu) using an excess amount of water. The Prophet asked Sa'd what he was doing, and he replied he performing the Wudhu. The Prophet replied that even though he was performing the Wudhu, it was not a valid justification to waste water. The Prophet then made a powerful statement and told Sa'd that even if he was sitting at a running stream of water, he was still not allowed to waste water!

Today, step foot in almost any mosque in the North America and you'll see the level of wastage first-hand. Walk into the bathroom to make Wudhu, and sometimes you feel as if the person before you performed a full body Ghusl in the sink! Taps are kept on for the entire process ofWudhu, wasting liters of water, whereas in all actuality a believer should be able to performWudhu with a 12 oz cup of water!

Statistics show that the daily per capita use of water in North America is a staggering 350 liters of water, whereas in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is a mere 10 to 20 liters! Consider this that by going for a shower, you consume 7.56 liters of water per minute; to brush your teeth, you use 3.78 liters of water, and something as necessary as flushing a regular sized toilet uses up 11.34 liters of water! Add to this the performance of Wudhu a minimum of three times per day, and as Muslims, perhaps we go over 400 liters of water usage in one day! We won't even begin to discuss the amount of food that we as a society waste every year, but suffice it to say that statistics show that the average North American family throws away $580.00 worth of good food every year! How about the food that fast-food chains, coffee shops, restaurants, and other eating establishments throw away every day? Just imagine how many people die of hunger throughout the world every day while we throw away their next meal!

So what's the big deal, you ask? We have "unlimited" resources in North America, right? Our taps always flow with clean, sparkling water; we (almost) never have blackouts; there are no fuel shortages and we are living on opulence. So why not enjoy life?! Why should we be conscious of this issue when we have so many other things to worry about?

To answer these questions, let us reflect on the Qur'anic narrative of the people of Saba from Surah Saba (34), verses 15, 16 and 19, in which God has mentioned, "There was for Saba aforetime a sign in their homeland – two gardens to the right and to the left. Eat of the sustenance (provided) by your Lord, and be grateful to Him: a territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving! But they turned away (from Allah), and We sent against them the flood (released) from the dams, and We converted their two garden (rows) into 'gardens' producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few (stunted) lote-tree… But they said: 'Our Lord! Place longer distances between our journey-stages': but they wronged themselves (therein). At length We made them as a tale (that is told), and We dispersed them all in scattered fragments. Verily in this are signs for every (soul that is) patiently constant and grateful."

The nation of Saba had a strong, vibrant economy, was looked upon with favor in the "international community", were custodians of a large pool of natural resources, and were producing their own food with a very minimal trade deficit – in summary, they were self-sufficient. However, due to their ungratefulness towards their Creator and wasting the bounties of the All-Merciful, they ended up being deluged by a flood and losing everything. What was their outcome? Well, back in those days, there was no IMF, World Bank, G8 or others to bail them out; thus, they were forced to go to neighboring cities to beg for their minimal requirements – what we refer to today as incurring a "national debt".

They say that "history repeats itself", and that "those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it." Could we be in such a situation today with this "global financial meltdown"? Only He knows…

In closing, one thing which we as Muslims need to understand is that when it comes to "going green" and conserving water, electricity or other natural resources, we need to ensure that we do not do these things simply because they will cut down on our utility bills at the end of the month or because it is the "in" thing to do; rather, we need to do these things because they are religious commandments, and that we will be held accountable by God for such things.

Today, we have two options: we can either jump on the "Qur'anic bandwagon" of moderation and leading a simple life and thus earning His blessings and the continuation of the lifestyle we are accustomed to, or we can become brothers of the devils (Ikhwaanush Shayateen) and be ungrateful to our Lord for the countless bounties He showers upon us day and night and indulge in waste, immoderation, excessiveness, and the devilish trait of consumerism. It is up to us to decide.

SHAIKH SALEEM BHIMJI