Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
What is the difference between being cheap and being economic or not wasteful?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Abu Sa`id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Two traits are not found together in a believer: miserliness and bad character.” [Tirmidhi]
Imam Barkawi (Allah have mercy on him) defined miserliness (bukhl) in his al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya:
“Being miserly and cheap is to hold on to money when it must be spent, by command of the Shariah or by the dictates of dignified behaviour (muru’a)… This differs according to individuals and situations.”
He also defined wastefulness:
“Wastefulness and excessiveness is the habit of spending when one is expected to exercise restraint, by the command of the Shariah or the dictates of dignified behaviour.
Dignified behaviour is a genuine urge within one to benefit others to the extent possible, and being caring and considerate (futuwwa).” [Barkawi, al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya (3/2-3, printed with Khadimi’s interlineal commentary, al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya]
Moderation is the golden mean between these two extremes.
The early Muslims used to say, “The best of matters are those in moderation.” [Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’ (1.469-470)]
Allah Most High said in the Qur’an that,
“The servants of the All-Merciful are
those who walk in the earth modestly…”
And among their description is that they are those
“ who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy, but between that is a just stand ” [Qur’an, 25.67]
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,