Quran Views Moderation as Key to Reform
Moderation has a special place in Islamic style of life. To understand this practical concepts in life, it would be helpful to consider the word ‘Israf’. Israf means wastefulness, immoderateness, and exaggeration. It has been mentioned 23 times in the Quran, including in verse 31 of Surah Al-A’raf:
“Children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of prayer. Eat and drink, and do not waste. He does not love the wasteful.”
The reason why God does not love the wasteful is because Israf leads to corruption and deterioration by undermining the balance in everything. It destroys one’s belongings and possessions and causes scarcity.
Types of Israf
1- Social Israf
“Do not obey the order of the wasteful, who corrupt in the earth, and do not reform.” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara, verses 151-2)
Any social corruption including bloodshed, oppression, arrogance and Istikbar (arrogance), is a kind of Israf that disturbs the balance and society and spreads disputes, conflicts and challenges.
2- Intellectual Israf
“…As such Allah leads astray the sinner, the doubter.” (Surah Ghafir, verse 34)
Doubt is natural but having unreasonable doubts all the time is harmful and considered a kind of Israf.
3- Behavioral Israf
“Say: ‘O My worshipers, who have sinned excessively against themselves, do not despair of the Mercy of Allah, surely, Allah forgives all sins. He is the Forgiver, the Most Merciful.’’. (Surah Az-Zumar, verse 53)
This verse mentions Israf against oneself, which interpreters of the Quran refer to as injustice to oneself.
4- Israf against Others
Unrightfully using other’s possessions and properties, especially those of orphans, is considered a kind of Israf and the Holy Quran strongly forbids it:
“And test the orphans until they reach (the age of) marriage. If you perceive in them right judgment, hand over to them their wealth, and do not consume it wastefully, nor hastily before they are grown. And whosoever is rich let him abstain, if poor, let him consume with kindness. When you hand over to them their wealth, take witness over them; it is sufficient that Allah is the Reckoner.” (Surah An-Nisa, verse 6)
5- Israf in Punishment
“Do not kill the soul whom Allah has forbidden except by right. If he is slain unjustly, We have given his heir authority. But let him not exceed the limit in slaying, for he will be helped.” (Surah Al-Isra, verse 33)
Not acting excessively in punishing those who have done wrong, including murderers, is among the things that Islam lays emphasis on and neglecting this has been considered as Israf.
6- Israf in Consumption
“…eat and drink but do not be excessive for God does not love those who are excessive (in what they do).” (Surah Al-A’raf, verse 31)
7- Israf in Infaq (Almsgiving)
“…who when they spend are neither wasteful nor miserly, between that is a just stand.” (Surah Al-Furqan, verse 67)
Infaq on the path of sins, Infaq out of hypocrisy and for showing off, and excessive Infaq are among measures considered to be Israf in Infaq.
