Ramadan and the Economy
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Every year, Allah honors the Ummah of Islam with the month of Ramadan, the month of divine virtues, during which He has made fasting a duty and the night prayers an act of devotion. All praise and grace are due to Allah. To ensure that fasting yields its fruits and benefits, there is a Sharia guidance to derive benefits from the school of fasting by refining the self and the spirit. This involves abstaining from desires and protecting the fast from everything that could corrupt it, whether material things like eating and drinking or moral issues like backbiting. To safeguard against all of this, the verses about fasting emphasize controlling sensual desires through regulating eating and drinking and controlling the speaking faculties by linking the tongue to recitation, remembrance, and supplication.
Allah, The Almighty Says (What means): "The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful. And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided." [Al-Baqarah/185-186]. However, there are certain behaviors that need to be warned against, as they prevent some from truly benefiting from their fast. Instead of Ramadan being a month of simplicity and savings, it becomes an economic crisis for some. Shopping increases, and there is a tendency towards extravagant banquets, wastefulness, and added financial burdens on individuals, families, and societies. If the Muslim community interacted with the blessed month in a truly genuine way, they would learn the importance of controlling expenses, and it would revive the economic and civilizational strength that was once a part of Islamic history. Therefore, as sincere advice to Muslims during this month, it is recommended to interact in the following ways:
1- Avoiding extravagance in food and uncalculated expenses: This is crucial at all times, especially during this blessed month. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess." [Al-A'raf/31]. Al-Qurtubi (May Allah have mercy on his soul) said: "And do not be excessive' refers to eating too much. It may also refer to drinking excessively, as this weighs down the stomach and hinders a person from serving his Lord and from taking advantage of good deeds." [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi/Vol.7/P.194].
If this indulgence exceeds what is necessary and prevents one from fulfilling their obligations, it becomes forbidden, as one has wasted their consumption. In reality, we observe that eating excessively leads to laziness, causing individuals to neglect some of the rights of this blessed month, as their motivation to perform night prayers diminishes, and they sleep excessively during the day. Furthermore, this behavior contradicts the Sunna of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), who would break his fast with a few dates or water before performing the Maghreb prayer. Anas ibn Malik reported: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would break his fast with fresh dates before praying, and if there were no fresh dates, then with dried dates, and if there were no dried dates, then he would take a few sips of water." [Abu Dawood].
2- Extravagance in spending on meals during the blessed month leads to a surplus of food prepared for consumption but ultimately wasted. This compels families to dispose of these leftovers in landfills, resulting in wastage, which is considered a significant wrongdoing and is forbidden. It constitutes a squandering of wealth without just cause. Al-Mughira Ibn Shu'ba reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah has disliked for you three things: excessive talk, squandering wealth, and asking too many questions." [Al-Bukhari].
3- We must pay attention while eating to avoid any actions that spoil food and make it less appealing to those who might eat after us. For instance, we should not take a portion of the food and leave the rest uneaten; instead, we should only take what we need. This practice ensures obedience to Allah by avoiding extravagance, preserving wealth, and safeguarding it from waste, allowing it to be available for others who may want to eat afterward.
Thus, we see the great jurist Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan Al-Shaybani, who passed away in the year 189AH, in his book [Al-Kasb]—one of the early works in Islamic civilization that addressed economic issues and the preservation of the nation's economic strength—emphasizing the culture of work and production while maintaining behaviors that protect communal wealth and prevent its waste. Therefore, I will convey his words for their importance and to illustrate the care of Islamic law in preventing waste. Among the actions this esteemed scholar warned against, which he stated are forms of forbidden extravagance that must be avoided, are the following:
A. It is considered extravagant to place on the table more varieties of food than one needs to eat, unless the intention is to invite guests, one after another, until they finish the food. In that case, there is no sin, as it is beneficial.
B. It is considered extravagant to eat the center of the bread while leaving the edges or to eat only the inflated parts of the bread.
C. It is extravagant to wipe one's hands with bread after finishing the meal without eating what one wipes with; others may find that unpleasant and thus will not eat it. However, if one eats what one wipes with, then there is no sin in that.
D. "It is extravagant to leave a piece of food that has fallen from one's hand; instead, one should pick it up and eat it, as leaving it shows a lack of respect for the food, while picking it up demonstrates honor." [Al-Kasb/pp.81-82].
"Fasting has its wisdom and Sharia rulings, which reflect the beauty of Islamic law. Fasting provides benefits in the realm of worship, in relationships with others by fostering empathy with the poor, and in controlling expenditures. Thus, the Sharia text obligates fasting during the day rather than at night, as eating is customary during the day and sleeping at night. If one were to fast at night, it would be more akin to a natural inclination rather than an act of honoring the Islamic law." [Mahasin Al-Islam, Muhammad Ibn Abdul Rahman/pp.21].
As for those who take Ramadan as a month of wasteful spending, increasing debts, and squandering money under the pretext that Ramadan is a month of generosity and charity—indeed, Ramadan is a month of generosity. Ibn Abbas (May Allah Be Pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The Messenger of Allah was the most generous of people, and he was even more generous during Ramadan when he would meet Gabriel, and Gabriel would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Qur'an. The Messenger of Allah was more generous in good than the swift wind." [Al- Bukhari].
However, generosity should not be understood as extravagance; there is a vast difference between the two. Generosity does not mean wastefulness. The beautiful Sharia interpretation of generosity is: "Giving what is appropriate to whom it is appropriate." and this is broader than just charity. [Fath Al-Bari by Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani/Vol.1 /P.31].
Thus, it becomes clear that generosity is the act of donating generously to what deserves to be spent upon. This necessitates controlling expenditures and doing what benefits people by alleviating their hunger, fulfilling their needs, and strengthening their economy. Great caution should be taken against extravagance that leads to financial loss. Wastefulness and the creation of economic crises during the blessed month of Ramadan should not be sanctioned.
Let us return to the essence of the worship of fasting by implementing it in accordance with the objectives of Islamic law, and be wary of any actions that undermine the purposes of worship. All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.
Ramadan and the Economy
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Every year, Allah honors the Ummah of Islam with the month of Ramadan, the month of divine virtues, during which He has made fasting a duty and the night prayers an act of devotion. All praise and grace are due to Allah. To ensure that fasting yields its fruits and benefits, there is a Sharia guidance to derive benefits from the school of fasting by refining the self and the spirit. This involves abstaining from desires and protecting the fast from everything that could corrupt it, whether material things like eating and drinking or moral issues like backbiting. To safeguard against all of this, the verses about fasting emphasize controlling sensual desires through regulating eating and drinking and controlling the speaking faculties by linking the tongue to recitation, remembrance, and supplication.
Allah, The Almighty Says (What means): "The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful. And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided." [Al-Baqarah/185-186]. However, there are certain behaviors that need to be warned against, as they prevent some from truly benefiting from their fast. Instead of Ramadan being a month of simplicity and savings, it becomes an economic crisis for some. Shopping increases, and there is a tendency towards extravagant banquets, wastefulness, and added financial burdens on individuals, families, and societies. If the Muslim community interacted with the blessed month in a truly genuine way, they would learn the importance of controlling expenses, and it would revive the economic and civilizational strength that was once a part of Islamic history. Therefore, as sincere advice to Muslims during this month, it is recommended to interact in the following ways:
1- Avoiding extravagance in food and uncalculated expenses: This is crucial at all times, especially during this blessed month. Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess." [Al-A'raf/31]. Al-Qurtubi (May Allah have mercy on his soul) said: "And do not be excessive' refers to eating too much. It may also refer to drinking excessively, as this weighs down the stomach and hinders a person from serving his Lord and from taking advantage of good deeds." [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi/Vol.7/P.194].
If this indulgence exceeds what is necessary and prevents one from fulfilling their obligations, it becomes forbidden, as one has wasted their consumption. In reality, we observe that eating excessively leads to laziness, causing individuals to neglect some of the rights of this blessed month, as their motivation to perform night prayers diminishes, and they sleep excessively during the day. Furthermore, this behavior contradicts the Sunna of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), who would break his fast with a few dates or water before performing the Maghreb prayer. Anas ibn Malik reported: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would break his fast with fresh dates before praying, and if there were no fresh dates, then with dried dates, and if there were no dried dates, then he would take a few sips of water." [Abu Dawood].
2- Extravagance in spending on meals during the blessed month leads to a surplus of food prepared for consumption but ultimately wasted. This compels families to dispose of these leftovers in landfills, resulting in wastage, which is considered a significant wrongdoing and is forbidden. It constitutes a squandering of wealth without just cause. Al-Mughira Ibn Shu'ba reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Indeed, Allah has disliked for you three things: excessive talk, squandering wealth, and asking too many questions." [Al-Bukhari].
3- We must pay attention while eating to avoid any actions that spoil food and make it less appealing to those who might eat after us. For instance, we should not take a portion of the food and leave the rest uneaten; instead, we should only take what we need. This practice ensures obedience to Allah by avoiding extravagance, preserving wealth, and safeguarding it from waste, allowing it to be available for others who may want to eat afterward.
Thus, we see the great jurist Muhammad Ibn Al-Hasan Al-Shaybani, who passed away in the year 189AH, in his book [Al-Kasb]—one of the early works in Islamic civilization that addressed economic issues and the preservation of the nation's economic strength—emphasizing the culture of work and production while maintaining behaviors that protect communal wealth and prevent its waste. Therefore, I will convey his words for their importance and to illustrate the care of Islamic law in preventing waste. Among the actions this esteemed scholar warned against, which he stated are forms of forbidden extravagance that must be avoided, are the following:
A. It is considered extravagant to place on the table more varieties of food than one needs to eat, unless the intention is to invite guests, one after another, until they finish the food. In that case, there is no sin, as it is beneficial.
B. It is considered extravagant to eat the center of the bread while leaving the edges or to eat only the inflated parts of the bread.
C. It is extravagant to wipe one's hands with bread after finishing the meal without eating what one wipes with; others may find that unpleasant and thus will not eat it. However, if one eats what one wipes with, then there is no sin in that.
D. "It is extravagant to leave a piece of food that has fallen from one's hand; instead, one should pick it up and eat it, as leaving it shows a lack of respect for the food, while picking it up demonstrates honor." [Al-Kasb/pp.81-82].
"Fasting has its wisdom and Sharia rulings, which reflect the beauty of Islamic law. Fasting provides benefits in the realm of worship, in relationships with others by fostering empathy with the poor, and in controlling expenditures. Thus, the Sharia text obligates fasting during the day rather than at night, as eating is customary during the day and sleeping at night. If one were to fast at night, it would be more akin to a natural inclination rather than an act of honoring the Islamic law." [Mahasin Al-Islam, Muhammad Ibn Abdul Rahman/pp.21].
As for those who take Ramadan as a month of wasteful spending, increasing debts, and squandering money under the pretext that Ramadan is a month of generosity and charity—indeed, Ramadan is a month of generosity. Ibn Abbas (May Allah Be Pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The Messenger of Allah was the most generous of people, and he was even more generous during Ramadan when he would meet Gabriel, and Gabriel would meet him every night of Ramadan to study the Qur'an. The Messenger of Allah was more generous in good than the swift wind." [Al- Bukhari].
However, generosity should not be understood as extravagance; there is a vast difference between the two. Generosity does not mean wastefulness. The beautiful Sharia interpretation of generosity is: "Giving what is appropriate to whom it is appropriate." and this is broader than just charity. [Fath Al-Bari by Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani/Vol.1 /P.31].
Thus, it becomes clear that generosity is the act of donating generously to what deserves to be spent upon. This necessitates controlling expenditures and doing what benefits people by alleviating their hunger, fulfilling their needs, and strengthening their economy. Great caution should be taken against extravagance that leads to financial loss. Wastefulness and the creation of economic crises during the blessed month of Ramadan should not be sanctioned.
Let us return to the essence of the worship of fasting by implementing it in accordance with the objectives of Islamic law, and be wary of any actions that undermine the purposes of worship. All praise is due to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.
