What is the criterion for extravagance? If a man buys a house for two million riyals, furnishes it for six hundred thousand, and buys a car for three hundred thousand, is he an extravagant person?
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The questioner : May Allah benefit Islam and the Muslims with your knowledge, O Shaykh: A man bought a house for two million riyals, then furnished it for six hundred thousand riyals, and after that bought a car for three hundred thousand riyals. Is this man considered an extravagant and wasteful person?
And what is the ruling on decorative items in houses? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Extravagance, may Allah bless you: it is exceeding the limit. Allah the Exalted has clarified in His Book that He does not love the extravagant. If we say that extravagance is exceeding the limit, then extravagance varies; it may be considered extravagance for one person and not for another. So, if this man who bought a house for two million riyals, furnished it for six hundred thousand, and bought a car, is wealthy, he is not an extravagant person, because this is easy for the very wealthy. However, if he is not wealthy, he is considered an extravagant person, whether he is from the middle class or from the poor. This is because some poor people want to complete their status, and you find them buying these large palaces and furnishing them with this excessive furniture, and perhaps they have borrowed some of it from people. This is a mistake. So there are three categories:
The first: a wealthy man with ample wealth. We say that in our present time, and we do not say in every time: if he buys a house for two million riyals, furnishes it for six hundred thousand riyals, and buys a car, he is not an extravagant person.
The second: the middle class. This is considered extravagance in his case.
The third: the poor man. This is considered foolishness in his case, because how can he borrow to complete something he does not need?
And what is the ruling on decorative items in houses? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Extravagance, may Allah bless you: it is exceeding the limit. Allah the Exalted has clarified in His Book that He does not love the extravagant. If we say that extravagance is exceeding the limit, then extravagance varies; it may be considered extravagance for one person and not for another. So, if this man who bought a house for two million riyals, furnished it for six hundred thousand, and bought a car, is wealthy, he is not an extravagant person, because this is easy for the very wealthy. However, if he is not wealthy, he is considered an extravagant person, whether he is from the middle class or from the poor. This is because some poor people want to complete their status, and you find them buying these large palaces and furnishing them with this excessive furniture, and perhaps they have borrowed some of it from people. This is a mistake. So there are three categories:
The first: a wealthy man with ample wealth. We say that in our present time, and we do not say in every time: if he buys a house for two million riyals, furnishes it for six hundred thousand riyals, and buys a car, he is not an extravagant person.
The second: the middle class. This is considered extravagance in his case.
The third: the poor man. This is considered foolishness in his case, because how can he borrow to complete something he does not need?