Quran Verses about Extravagance
Allah forbids squandering wealth wastefully and calls the squanderers brothers of the devils, forbids excess in eating, drinking and spending, and praises those who spend moderately, neither extravagant nor stingy. The verses also condemn those who lived in luxury and heedlessness.
The prohibition of squandering wealth
وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرۡ تَبۡذِيرًا ٢٦
Wa āti dhal-qurbā ḥaqqahū wal-miskīna wabnas-sabīli wa lā tubadhdhir tabdhīrā.
And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.1
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., on that which is unlawful or in disobedience to Allāh.
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓاْ إِخۡوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورٗا ٢٧
Innal-mubadhdhirīna kānū ikhwānash-shayāṭīn, wa kānash-shayṭānu lirabbihī kafūrā.
Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.
وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ يَدَكَ مَغۡلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبۡسُطۡهَا كُلَّ ٱلۡبَسۡطِ فَتَقۡعُدَ مَلُومٗا مَّحۡسُورًا ٢٩
Wa lā tajʿal yadaka maghlūlatan ilā ʿunuqika wa lā tabsuṭhā kullal-basṭi fataqʿuda malūmam maḥsūrā.
And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck1 or extend it completely2 and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.
Footnotes (2)
- i.e., refusing to spend.
- i.e., being extravagant.
The prohibition of excess in eating and drinking
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنشَأَ جَنَّٰتٖ مَّعۡرُوشَٰتٖ وَغَيۡرَ مَعۡرُوشَٰتٖ وَٱلنَّخۡلَ وَٱلزَّرۡعَ مُخۡتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُۥ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَٰبِهٗا وَغَيۡرَ مُتَشَٰبِهٖۚ كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثۡمَرَ وَءَاتُواْ حَقَّهُۥ يَوۡمَ حَصَادِهِۦۖ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ١٤١
Wa huwal-ladhī anshaʾa jannātim maʿrūshātiw wa ghayra maʿrūshātiw wan-nakhla waz-zarʿa mukhtalifan ukuluhū waz-zaytūna war-rummāna mutashābihaw wa ghayra mutashābih, kulū min thamarihī idhā athmara wa ātū ḥaqqahū yawma ḥaṣādih, wa lā tusrifū, innahū lā yuḥibbul-musrifīn.
And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakāh] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive.1 Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.
Footnotes (1)
- In eating, as well as in all things generally.
۞ يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمۡ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٖ وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسۡرِفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ ٣١
Yābanī ādama khudhū zīnatakum ʿinda kulli masjidiw wa kulū washrabū wa lā tusrifū, innahū lā yuḥibbul-musrifīn.
O children of Adam, take your adornment [i.e., wear your clothing] at every masjid,1 and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.
Footnotes (1)
- Literally, "place of prostration," meaning any place that a Muslim prays upon the earth. The term may also refer specifically to a mosque.
Spending moderately
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُواْ لَمۡ يُسۡرِفُواْ وَلَمۡ يَقۡتُرُواْ وَكَانَ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامٗا ٦٧
Wal-ladhīna idhā anfaqū lam yusrifū wa lam yaqturū wa kāna bayna dhālika qawāmā.
And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate
The condemnation of those who live in luxury
وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ ٤١
Wa aṣḥābush-shimāli mā aṣḥābush-shimāl.
And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left?
فِي سَمُومٖ وَحَمِيمٖ ٤٢
Fī samūmiw wa ḥamīm.
[They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water
وَظِلّٖ مِّن يَحۡمُومٖ ٤٣
Wa ẓillim miy yaḥmūm.
And a shade of black smoke,
لَّا بَارِدٖ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ ٤٤
Lā bāridiw wa lā karīm.
Neither cool nor beneficial.
إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتۡرَفِينَ ٤٥
Innahum kānū qabla dhālika mutrafīn.
Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence,