The Excellence of Moderation

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Salih ibn al-Sindiy from Ja’far ibn Bashir from Dawud al-Riqqiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that moderation is a matter that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, loves, and extravagance is a thing that Allah hates. It applies even to one’s throwing the stone inside the piece of a date; it can be useful for something, and to throwing the leftover of what you drink.’”

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘ Umayr from certain individuals of his people who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘They ask you about what should spend (for the sake of Allah). Say, “It is disregarding. . .’” (2: 219), Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘The word “al-‘Afw (disregarding)” refers to spending moderately.’”

4. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “’Amir al-Mu’minin عليه السلام, has said, ‘Moderation leads to increase, and extravagance leads to destruction.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Mansur ibn Yunus from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام, has said, the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Three things work as means of salvation for a person and he described moderation, in both poverty and financial well-being, to be one of such means.’”

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ‘Umar ibn Aban from Mudrik ibn abu al-Hazhaz who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, say, ‘I guarantee safety from poverty in favor of one who observes moderation (in spending).”

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from Yunus ibn Ya’qub from Hammad (ibn Waqid) al-Lahham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that all kinds of one’s spending for the sake of Allah, on any one of His causes, is not a good or successful spending. Allah, the most High says, ‘You must not throw yourselves in perdition. Do good; Allah loves those who do good.’ (2:195) “Doers of good” refers to those who observe moderation in spending.”

8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Marwak ibn ‘Ubayd from his father, ‘Ubayd who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘O ‘Ubayd, excessive spending causes poverty but moderation leads to wealth.’”

9. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from Musa ibn Bakr who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan عليه السلام, once said, ‘With moderation, one does not suffer poverty.’”

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father and a number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Ishaq ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from certain individuals of his people who has said the following: “Once, I asked abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, ‘On our way to Makkah, we wanted to wear the special dress for Ihram (a certain act of Hajj), but we did not have proper material for shaving, and we did not have bran or flour to use in place of lime. We used flour for this purpose. Allah knows that I had a strange feeling about it.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Was your strange feeling for excessive spending?’ I replied, ‘Yes, that is true.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘There is not anything excessive in what is spent for the wellbeing of the body. I sometimes ask (my people) to mix marrow with oil to use for shaving. Excessive spending is when something that one owns is wasted and the body is harmed.’ I then asked, ‘What is living in austerity?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is living on bread and salt only, when you are able to use other food.’ I then asked, ‘What is moderation?’ He replied, ‘It is moderation when you use bread, meat, vinegar and oil; one time this and next time the other.’”

11. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Marwak ibn ‘Ubayd from Rifa’ah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that when Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, gives to you generously, be generous to yourselves; when He withholds, you should also do so, but do not try to surpass Him; He is more generous than you are.”

12. Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Muhammad ibn Ali (al-Sayrafiy) from ibn Sinan who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Whoever maintains moderation, Allah grants him sustenance, but He deprives one who spends excessively.’”

13. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Hassan from Musa ibn Bakr who has said the following: “I heard abu al-Hassan, Musa عليه السلام, say, ‘Easing off in spending is half of one’s sustenance, and with observance of moderation, one does not become poor.’”