Moderation in Islam

The optimum parameters of consumption for every Muslim and revolutionary Mujahid are as follows:
Indicators
1. Moderation in consumption
Islam, as in all aspects of human life has ordered to moderation, also recommends it in the consumption of God's Halal blessings and prevents from excess and negligence in this regard. About the behavioral style of a believer the Prophet says:
''Truly a believer, have learned a good etiquette from God: if God increases his [provision], he also be generous and spend in a good way in [life], and when Allah be decreases his provision, he [himself] should be the same as well''.
Consumption” is based on the real and true needs of man; while consumerism and being under its influence is originated from man’s false needs and extravagance''.
The method of moderation in consumption is a method that consumption in it is different and at the same time it fulfills all the needs of man and it is useful for their life. Some people asked Imam Sadiq about the method of moderation in consumption and he said: “Moderation is that you have bread and broth one time, rice for another time and butter in the next time and it means that you shouldn’t be in welfare every time and on the other hand don’t make yourself in need without any reason''.
The way of consumption in lifestyle is between two borders that are considered as the two indicators of moderation: Iqtar (Israf in reverse) and creating dearth in life and Israf (overspending) that both of them are unpleasant so the border of moderation and economy in is good in the Islamic lifestyle.
Because of this in the narrations, the believer and the Mujahid have been encouraged to learn moderation and economy. Ayub Ibn Hurr says:
''I heard someone said to Imam Sadiq (as): They have told us that economy and proper management in life is half of the business. He said: No, but it is the whole business and managing the livelihood is part of the religion''.
Standing in the middle status of consuming and going towards Iqtar and Israf is very difficult. According to narrations, not going towards an abomination, is standing in the status of moderation. The narrator says: I wanted the permission for expenses of the family from Imam Reza he said: “between the abominations”; I said, "I be ransomed, I swear to God, I do not know which two too unacceptable things is." He said: Yes, May God have mercy on you, don't you know that the Almighty God doesn't like Iqtar and Israf. Then he read this verse: “And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate” Surat Al-Furqan [verse 67]. After reading the abovementioned verse Imam Sadiq interprets the meaning of moderate. The narrator says: Imam Sadiq took a handful of sand and fisted his hand so that no sand was sprinkled on the ground he said: this is Iqtar the he took another handful of sand this time he opened his hand and the all sand was on the ground he said: This is Israf. Once again, he took a handful of sand and closed his fist so that some amount was poured and some amount was remained, then said: This is moderation.
References
A) Avoidance of Iqtar
''Iqtar" also means avoiding consumption and abstention from giving property for charity. Imam Sadiq in the definition of Iqtar says: “Eat bread and salt, while it is possible to eat other things''.
To the extent that Islam has condemned overspending its opposite, Iqtar has been prohibited as well. Iqtar has been generally rebuked, whether man because of being attached to the material world deprives his family id consuming and using them or because of greed he doesn’t pay divine rights such as Zakat or Khums and also Infaq to the poor. About these people the Holy Quran says: “O Muhammad, say to them, "Had the treasures of your Lord's blessings been in your possession, you would have held them back lest they should be spent up. Indeed man is very narrow minded” Surah al-Isra verse 100.
It should be noted that "contentment" and "Iqtar" are very similar at the first glance and because both are abstinence and being away from consumption, may be used interchangeably by mistake. Therefore, we should know the element in contentment that keeps man away from using the worldly blessing is reluctance to material symbols and extreme attachment to spiritual perfection and closeness to God; but what makes man avoid necessary expenses and Iqtar is a great interest in the material aspects of this world.
B) Avoidance of extravagance
The opposite of Iqtar is overspending in life and it means any kind of extravagance by man; but often this term has been known about the costs and spending. Wasteful consumption, is one of the most unacceptable things in Islam and the Qur'an and narrations has strongly condemned this style of consumption and perhaps it is called a Pharaonic action, the final destination of transgressors has been introduces the Fire.
Overspending is being deviated from moderation, the domination of wisdom and accepting the domination of soul desires and wasting the blessing that God has created for the livelihood of people and its result is being away from the mercy of God. In other words Since society has a right in personal property and Israf means violating the social right in personal property, extravagance in personal property is forbidden.
In this regard the late Shahid Mutahhari has a precious saying:
Israf, dissipation and any kind of unlawful use of property is forbidden; not only because the done action is Haram but also because it is disposition of public wealth without any permit…because this property belongs to the society.
Therefore, Imam Ali introduces Israf as a factor of being destroyed: “Israf is the cause of destruction''.
Recognizing the examples of overspending in today’s life is very difficult and sometime sit is seen that man overspends in his life; but he does not believe that his action is unlawful because of this the Infallible Imams explain some signs of overspending:
1. The minimum amount of overspending
Ishaq Ibn Ammar asked Imam Sadiq on the minimum amount of overspending, he responded: “It is that the clothes you were outside and inside home be the same and never throw out the leftovers in your dishes''.
2. The signs of an extravagant person
Asbaq Ibn Nabatah narrates that Imam Ali said: “The extravagant person has three signs: he eats from what is not for him, he buys from what is not for him and he wears the clotehs that is not for him''.
C) Avoidance of dissipation
"Dissipation" basically is rooted from the verb "disperse" which means scattering the seed or dispersing it that after doing that they no longer can be collected, because it has the manner of destruction. Dissipation is in cases in which man spends his property as irrationally and in a wasteful way.
There is always the loss of wealth with dissipation; because spending property without rational reason is wasting and destroying the wealth; therefore wasting and spending uselessly is Haram and unlawful in terms of quality and quantity; therefore complete attention must be paid to the qualitative aspects of consuming different goods, the ultimate talents of producing and service sources and using any kind of service source or productive material in a situation that it has the most efficiency so that its potential talents and energies have been used completely.
Qur'an explicitly prohibits this topic and introduces those who dissipate properties as the brothers of Satan: “and do not spend wastefully* Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful” Surat Al-Isra [verse 26-27].
D) Being content
Being content is an attribute that will be achieved by repetition and practicing which leads to being satisfied with a less amount and prevents the soul from extravagance. The sacred religion has determined the amount of everything in the consumption manner of any individual. It should be noted that the property or money must not be spent more than the specified amount or more than the necessary amount. In other words, we can say that contentment is satisfaction with the less and good management of sustenance without loving the life very much and also moderation. Regarding this topic the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali says: “He who confines himself to what is just enough for maintenance achieves comfort and prepares abode in ease''.
The reality of being ostentatiously rich and being in need does not realize in outside objects, material goods and property funds. Rightly, the lack of these items has an important effect on the formation of material wealth and poverty; but the important issue is that being rich is like a factor for the peace of soul and its needlessness and poverty is like a factor for being worried and in need and generally they’re not summarized in the properties and facilities of the people. Because wealth and poverty are rooted in human soul and his characteristics such as respectability and content or greed and overspending; therefore the content human is not in need however he doesn’t have a lot of things and the greedy human is need however he is rich. Imam Kazim says: “Anyone who is content with what is sufficient for him is rich and anyone who's not like this will never reach wealth''.
Imam Khamenei says in this regard: I will tell all of my Muslim brothers and sisters across the country to consider the issue of contentment seriously. I don’t mean that you must not use the divine blessings and don’t enjoy them. It means that you should keep the balance in consumption; do not overspend; do not waste the divine blessings that unfortunately many people do it.
E) Avoidance of conspicuous consumption
Islam and Quran have paid a special attention to beauty, luxury and self-adornment and in addition to nurturing all human inclinations it supports people’s sense of beauty and recommends its followers to use the beauty of nature and luxury in a correct way. Quran says about it: “Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants” Surat Al-A'raf [verse 32]. The Sirah of the Infallible Imams is also a reason for the allowance of using the luxuries in a normal way as in the history of the life of Imam Hassan it has been mentioned that he used to wear his best clothes at the time of prayer. Some people asked him: Why do u wear your best clothes? He replied: “God is beautiful and loves the beauty, because of this reason I wear my beautiful clothes at the time of supplication to God and he has also ordered to take the adornments at the time of going to the mosques''.
The excessive attention to beauty and luxury is called “conspicuous consumption” that is defined as the eagerness to luxury and paying attention to the surface concepts of life and it appearance. In spite of the fact that Islam considers adornment as a sign of discipline in an individual, nowadays what’s known as conspicuous consumption is not related to an individual or being beautiful in appearance and perhaps people don’t have an appropriate appearance but they have the spirit of conspicuous consumption.
So, what is forbidden in Islam is "conspicuous consumption", "Spoilage", "welfare stroke" and extremist tendencies to the worldly manifestations and neglecting the spiritual adornment.
Luxury-oriented life, inclination to the trappings of life and seeking welfare is a threat for the managers and those in authority because not only it endangers their world and their Hereafter and makes them without any credit and unreliable in the society, rather by not fulfilling their social responsibilities it will cause a great damage to Islamic regime; therefore Imam Ali says:
“In fact God has made it incumbent upon His leaders not to overspend and behave like the poor class of the society, so that the poverty of the poor will not make him disobey God''.
Imam Khamenei says:
Of course, luxury and extravagance is bad in any case; but what forces people to be sensitive over the case, is wasteful behavior and overspending by using the people's property at the level of government agencies and organizations. It was among the things that people didn’t want it. Islamic regime was established and formed based on the value that no such thing should exist in the society.