You spoke about purchasing school supplies, so I would like you, may Allah reward you, to clarify this for us and guide us, especially those women who are extravagant in choosing school supplies.
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : You spoke about purchasing school supplies. So I would like you, may Allah reward you, to clarify this for us and guide us, especially those women who are extravagant in choosing school supplies. You find that some of them, perhaps you find something worth ten, and they buy it for twenty out of a desire to show off. I ask for a word of guidance from you, may Allah reward you, in this matter. And what is the standard for extravagance?
The Shaykh : Yes. This is a good question that includes one thing, and I am adding another thing to it. The thing included in this question is extravagance in school supplies. And this is forbidden, because Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:141]. These school supplies have a limited lifespan. When? When the studies end, and then they are thrown in the trash. So how do you spend money, which is the sustenance of life, on a matter whose end is the trash?! As for extravagance, it is exceeding the limit. And on this basis, we might say: this garment is extravagance for a man, and this garment is not extravagance for another man, according to the situation. So extravagance is exceeding the limit.
As for the thing I want to add: it is that we, we have heard that some school supplies contain crosses, and they contain instruments of amusement from musical instruments and others, either in the pens, or in the rulers, or in the erasers, or in the notebooks. And it is not permissible for a person to buy these for his children. Rather, buying those that contain the cross is forbidden, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave anything containing a cross without breaking it. So be careful of this, because your enemies depict these things so that the child becomes accustomed to them. And he sees that there is no harm in them. So beware of this. Notebooks—praise be to Allah—are numerous and do not contain this thing. And if it happens that you do not find anything except this, then remove the first page that has these images and replace it with another page that has no objection in it.
Yes.
The questioner : The owners of bookstores, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : As for the owners of bookstores, I warn them not to buy these things and sell them to their brothers.
The Shaykh : Yes. This is a good question that includes one thing, and I am adding another thing to it. The thing included in this question is extravagance in school supplies. And this is forbidden, because Allah the Exalted said:
And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.
وَلا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَAs for the thing I want to add: it is that we, we have heard that some school supplies contain crosses, and they contain instruments of amusement from musical instruments and others, either in the pens, or in the rulers, or in the erasers, or in the notebooks. And it is not permissible for a person to buy these for his children. Rather, buying those that contain the cross is forbidden, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave anything containing a cross without breaking it. So be careful of this, because your enemies depict these things so that the child becomes accustomed to them. And he sees that there is no harm in them. So beware of this. Notebooks—praise be to Allah—are numerous and do not contain this thing. And if it happens that you do not find anything except this, then remove the first page that has these images and replace it with another page that has no objection in it.
Yes.
The questioner : The owners of bookstores, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : As for the owners of bookstores, I warn them not to buy these things and sell them to their brothers.