Adopt balance in your spending [25:67]

Another quality mentioned in Sura Furqan of the Ibad ur Rahman is that they are “qawama”, they adopt the “just mean” spending.

Verse 67 says:
And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious, and (keep) between these the just mean. [25:67]

Islam at its core, is the “middle path”, the path between two extremes and Prophetic traditions state that “a virtue lies between two vices”.

In this case, the virtue mentioned is that of infaq or spending on others. The idea of spending is of course taken as a given. Others have a right in what has been granted to us in trust and we are means by which they are given sustenance.

And, as in all areas of life, we have to be mindful and responsible in how we give.

Another similar verse of the Quran says: And let not thine hand be shackled to thy neck; nor let it be entirely open [17:29].

So let us consider what this implies.

In ordinary spending this is a wise rule of course but even in charity, which are meant to be generous in, we should not be extravagant. Scholars explain that this means that we should neither do it for show, or to impress other people, or do it thoughtlessly, which would be the case if we "rob Peter to pay Paul". While giving, we need to be mindful of the rights of those who depend upon us, of our own needs and strike a perfectly just balance between them.

Prophetic traditions shed further light on this issue:
Imam Rida (as) has said that moderate prodigality and expenditure is the Quranic criteria of “...the rich according to his means, and the straitened according to his means, a provision in a fair manner.”

Imam Sadiq (as) in a tradition said: “To spend for the sake of the falsehood is extravagance (though it is a little”.

In other words, the intention with which we give is paramount. Even if we give a little but the intention is to support less than worthy causes or to look good, it may well be regarded as “israf”.

In current times, as a community, we have more resources than at any other time in history and so many of us have been granted more than we need or can use. So the issue of “israf” in spending at first glance may not be that applicable.

However, while this verse is about monetary spending, it can apply to all sorts of spending, including our time. Time is a fixed resource and for many it is a harder resource to be responsible with than money. For example, sometimes we are very keen to volunteer outside the house as we get so much validation and appreciation. It gives us satisfaction and boosts our self-esteem to be of use to others.

If we are giving so much of our time and energy in such situations [or at work as well] that we return home depleted and empty, we may want to remind ourselves of this verse. If our loved ones are complaining about how little they get to see us, maybe we might want to examine if we are living the ‘just mean’ and balancing responsibilities appropriately.

We might use this verse to remind ourselves that there are those who have the first right on our time, such as our families. Being balanced and taking a just mean includes taking account of the rights of those closest to us in regards to all our resources such as time, energy and money.