WHAT IS APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE AND WHAT ISN’T
Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi RE has given some great
guidelines about how to judge what is an appropriate expenditure and what is
not. While he used the example of furnishing a house but it is much more widely
applicable across a range of circumstances.
Hazrat Thanvi RE said the first reason a person spends
money on a house is to live in it, so that there is a roof over his head and it
protects him from rain, direct sunlight, cold and heat. While these needs can
be met through a hut as well but it is also allowed to spend whatever is appropriate
considering one’s income and circumstances, on it. The second reason a person
spends money on a house is to get comfort. For example, while a person can
survive in a meagre hut but it may start leaking in rainy season, and it may
get too hot or too clod in different seasons. Therefore, if a person spends
money on the house to make it more comfortable to live in, it is fully
permissible and is no sin. The third reason a person may spend money on a house
is to make it look nice to him. For example, while a house with bare unpainted
walls may provide shelter from rain and sun, and may provide a degree of
comfort, it does not make a person feel happy when he comes home and looks at
it. If a person then furnishes the house, paints it, and adorns it with some
decoration so that it will look good to him and make him happy, it is
completely permissible as long as the person does it within his means.
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