Surah Al-Isra · 17:26

The Command to maintain the Ties of Kinship and the Prohibition of Extravagance

When Allah mentions honoring one's parents, He follows this with the command to treat one's relatives well and to maintain the ties of kinship. According to the Hadith:

«أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ، ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاك»

وفي رواية

«ثُمَّ الْأَقْرَبَ فَالْأَقْرَب»

(Your mother and your father, then your closest relatives and the next closest.) According to another Hadith:

«مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ وَيُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَجَلِهِ، فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَه»

(Whoever would like to see his provision expanded and his life extended, let him maintain his ties of kinship.)

وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

(But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.) When Allah commands spending, He forbids extravagance. Spending should be moderate, as stated in another Ayah:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُواْ لَمْ يُسْرِفُواْ وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُواْ

(And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy). 25:67 Then He says, to discourage extravagance:

إِنَّ الْمُبَذرِينَ كَانُواْ إِخْوَنَ الشَّيَـطِينِ

(Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of the Shayatin,) They have this trait in common. Ibn Mas`ud said: "This refers spending extravagantly when it is not appropriate." Ibn `Abbas said likewise. Mujahid said: "If a man spends all his wealth on appropriate things, then he is not a spendthrift, but if he spends a little inappropriately, then he is a spendthrift." Qatadah said: "Extravagance means spending money on sin in disobeying Allah, and on wrongful and corrupt things." Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said: "A man came from Banu Tamim to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: `O Messenger of Allah, I have a lot of wealth, I have a family, children, and the refinements of city life, so tell me how I should spend and what I should do.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«تُخْرِجُ الزَّكَاةَ مِنْ مَالِكَ إِنْ كَانَ، فَإِنَّهَا طُهْرَةٌ تُطَهِّرُكَ، وَتَصِلُ أَقْرِبَاءَكَ، وَتَعْرِفُ حَقَّ السَّائِلِ وَالْجَارِ وَالْمِسْكِين»

(Pay the Zakah on your wealth if any is due, for it is purification that will make you pure, maintain your ties of kinship, pay attention to the rights of beggars, neighbors and the poor.) He said: `O Messenger of Allah, make it less for me.' He recited:

وَءَاتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

(And give to the kinsman his due, and to the Miskin (poor) and to the wayfarer. But spend not wastefully in the manner of a spendthrift.) The man said, `That is enough for me, O Messenger of Allah. If I pay Zakah to your messenger, will I be absolved of that duty before Allah and His Messenger' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«نَعَمْ، إِذَا أَدَّيْتَهَا إِلَى رَسُولِي فَقَدْ بَرِئْتَ مِنْهَا وَلَكَ أَجْرُهَا، وَإِثْمُهَا عَلَى مَنْ بَدَّلَهَا»

(Yes, if you give it to my messenger, you will have fulfilled it, and you will have the reward for it, and the sin is on the one who changes it.)"

إِنَّ الْمُبَذرِينَ كَانُواْ إِخْوَنَ الشَّيَـطِينِ

(Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of the Shayatin,) meaning, they are their brothers in extravagance, foolishness, failing to obey Allah and committing sin. Allah said:

وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَـنُ لِرَبِّهِ كَفُورًا

(and the Shaytan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.) meaning, he is an ingrate, because he denied the blessings of Allah and did not obey Him, turning instead to disobedience and rebellion.

وَإِمَّا تُعْرِضَنَّ عَنْهُمُ ابْتِغَآءَ رَحْمَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكَ

(And if you turn away from them and you are awaiting a mercy from your Lord) `If your relatives and those to whom We have commanded you to give, ask you for something, and you do not have anything, and you turn away from them because you have nothing to give,

فَقُل لَّهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّيْسُورًا

(then, speak unto them a soft, kind word.) meaning, with a promise. This was the opinion of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others.