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[Mazhar]

Salam

I had this question, how do we know when we are doin asraaf....i ll give a real scenario and then maybe somebody could enlighten me.

Scenario 1.Mr X is well off, he can afford to buy a 1000dollar watch, however a 300dollar serves the same purpose (and so does a 20dollar one).Suppose he doesnt have a watch at all, i think he can buy, but suppose he already has one but wants another one(maybe for the weekend or something) is mr X allowed to buy it?

I was talkin to a couple of people and this came up:
If the person needs a watch or its his first one then there is no problem, however if its like for the weekend then there might be an issue, this person gave me the example of a house:If one needs a 5 bedroom house but gets a 10 bedroom one then that could be asraaf(this was an opinion)same thing can be said about cars, mobile phones, shoes and what not.

If we look at the lives of our Aimmah and our ulema we will notice that they led simple lives, do you think that by detaching ourselves from the world and its pleasures(i am not saying completely but keeping limits) we would be able to get closer to God

Anybody has any thoughts on this?

[Muhammad Mahdi]

Detaching oneself from Dunya surely has its merits. Imam Ali has said, "I have given dunya divorce thrice"

This however does not mean we have live like a hermit. As long as give to the poor and treat others as we treat ourselves

Get a rolex for your neighbour

[Fatimah Zahra Karim]

It is said (I dont know how far it is true, though) that B.Zainab , before kerbala, always walked on a carpet...u know, the way Aga Khan never steps on the ground kinda thing. But B. Fatima used to divide her housework with B.Fizza . I guess asraaf begins when you start treating yourself better than you treat others.

Another way of looking at it would be spending on something you don't need and don't use. Take for example phones. I've seen people with expensive phones (they're expensive coz of ll the functions, the memory) and all they do on it is call and text. They buy a GB of memory but use only a few MBs. Would you agree that this is asraaf?

Another example: we always consider not finishing the food in our plates asraaf. Of course, it is, since it's going to be thrown away if we don't eat it. But wouldn't you consider over-stuffing ourselves asraaf too? We eat till we think we can't have another morsel. And when we see what's for desert...black-forest cake...I'll have a tiny slice of that, and a bit more please.

[qarrar]

Here is another example of what I think is asraaf. Hajj is prescribed as wajib once in a lifetime but yet we have people who have performed Hajj in the double figures. Isn’t that money used to go to hajj better served in charity? Similar thing could be said about ziyarat.

[Muhammad Mahdi]

Qarrar, I do not think your example of hajj or ziyarat is right. Hajj and ziyarat give a boost to the mslim's spirituality. Whenever one does hajj, one experiences this feeing and changes for the better. Some go to hajj every year to act as volunteers so that they ay serve Allah's guests. Nothing wrong with that.

[Zahra..]

I agree with Muhammad Mahdi

Very Good points Fatimah Zahra

[qarrar]

I totally agree one’s spiritually gets a boost with such trips but should these experiences be limited for the wealthy only. Surely isn’t there more thawab that after performing one Hajj and that person gives another person an opportunity to experience the same feeling?

[Muhammad Mahdi]

Surely isn’t there more thawab that after performing one Hajj and that person gives another person an opportunity to experience the same feeling?

I dont know about thawab, but its a good thing to do.
However, like I previously stated, I do not agree with

Isn’t that money used to go to hajj better served in charity? Similar thing could be said about ziyarat.

[qarrar]

However, like I previously stated, I do not agree with

Isn’t that money used to go to hajj better served in charity? Similar thing could be said about ziyarat.

Let’s not confuse ourselves, it’s the second hajj or third hajj we are talking about and not the first.

[Muhammad Mahdi]

Let’s not confuse ourselves, it’s the second hajj or third hajj we are talking about and not the first.

Even if its the fifth for that matter.

[qarrar]

Let us agree to disagree then :)

[Muhammad Mahdi]

No probs

[abuali]

qarrar: what are your reasons for saying that the 2nd or 3rd pilgrimage is asraaf?

[Mazhar]

This is the ive come up with.

We should get things on a "needs" basis and not a "want" basis .If we want a second phone--maybe because its the latest, we should not get it because we already have one, and so we dont need it. However we can change our conditions n make us need the newest phone.HOW??? By selling the current phone and getting the newer one, its a bit dodgy but it should be fine.

I dont agree that going for hajj again and again is asraaf simply because it serves as both a spiritually uplifting journey as well as a holiday, if one went to Paris one year and then London the next would that be termed as asraaf as well??I dont think so as the experience will be different same goes for hajj one raises their spiritual levels everytime one goes.