THE PRINCIPLE OF FRUGALITY (Iqtisâd)

1.The Qur’an commands frugality (Iqtisâd):

 بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا وَ لاَ تُسْرِفُوا1

This noble âyah gives an extremely important instruction of hikmah in the form of an explicit command to frugality and of a clear prohibition of wastefulness.

The Nineteenth Flash

The definition of frugality (Iqtisâd):

Frugality (Iqtisâd) literally means “Moderation and straightness in action” and is taken from the word qasd (قصد ). Because one, who knows his purpose well, attains it directly without turning other ways, while one, who does not know the place and locality of his aim, remains in confusion. He sometimes fluctuates into ifrât sometimes into tafrît; he always struggles. Therefore frugality (Iqtisâd) is used to express the actions that lead one to his aim.

(Hak Dini Kur’an Dili Tefsiri:1736)

2.The Frugality of Ustadh Bediuzzaman:

After completely understanding the way and outlook of Ustadh, I am reluctant to compare his frugality with simple things such as eating and drinking. For, it is necessary to measure the elevated frugality of this great man by applying it to ma’nawî areas and by using non-material criterias.

For example, Ustadh was a genius who measured the power of this elevated frugality by not wasting the ma’nawî and non-material values such as thought, mind, potential, ability, moment, time, the nafs and breath, not only by the simple things such as eating, drinking and dressing. And he also instilled in his students this careful method of inspecting and observing, which he followed throughout his life as a moral quality.

Hence making a Nur student read any random work and making him listen to every word is not easy. For the word "Careful!" written in the focal point of his heart acts as a most sensitive control mechanism.

Biography-14

3. The haqiqah of frugality encompasses the order of the universe as well as man’s life:

Through the requirement of the Name Hakîm, As-Sâni’ Zuljalâl having followed the lightest form, the shortest way, the easiest manner, the most beneficial modality shows that there is no wastefulness (isrâf), futility and uselessness in the fitrah. As for wastefulness (isrâf), it is the opposite of the name Hakîm, while frugality (iqtisâd) is the necessary consequence of that Name and is its fundamental principle.

O wasteful man lacking frugality (iqtisâd)! Since you do not practice frugality (iqtisâd), which is the most essential principle of all universe, know how you act contrary to haqiqah! Understand how an essential and extensive principle the âyah كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا وَ لاَ تُسْرِفُوا2 teaches.

The Thirtieth Flash-The Third Subtle Point-First Matter

4. The Frugality of Prophet (ASM):

In all of his Sunnah as-Saniyyah, his fıtrî demeanours and the laws of his Sharî’ah, he used his will within the boundaries of istiqâmah while avoiding ifrât and tafrît, waste (isrâf) and extravagance, which are dhulm and darkness. He completely avoided wastefulness (isrâf) and took frugality (iqtisâd) as his guide even in his speech, eating and drinking.

The Eleventh Flash-Eleventh Subtle Point

5. One of the elevated morals of the Prophet and is indeed one of the sources of the arrangement of the hikmah of Allah in the universe, has no relation with stinginess, which is a mixture of baseness, avariciousness, covetousness and greed. There is only an outward resemblance.

The Nineteenth Flash –Sixth Subtle Point

6. The fundamental law of the samâwî Qur’an 3 لَيْسَ لْلاِنْسَانِ اِلاَّ مَا سَعَى ٭ كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا وَ لاَ تُسْرِفُوا decrees: "The happiness of mankind is in frugality and endeavour for labour and work, and through them, the upper and lower classes can make peace with each other." Since this principle has been explained in the Risale-i Nur, I will briefly say one or two subtle points:

The First: During the nomadic period, mankind was in need of three or four things. Out of ten people, only two were unable to acquire these three or four needs. Through misuse and waste by inciting the desires of nafs, making inessential needs essential, and due to custom and addiction, the current cruel Western civilisation makes today's civilised man needy for twenty things instead of the four things he actually needs. Out of twenty people, only two can obtain those twenty needs in a completely halal way; the eighteen remain in need. It means that the current civilisation makes man very poor. In respect of those needs, it has urged mankind to dhulm and gain haram earnings.

Emirdağ Addendum-2 (99)

7. In Short:The current Western civilisation has made mankind poor by increasing their needs because it does not completely heed samâwî religions. By destroying the foundation of frugality and contentment, it has increased wastefulness, greed and envy and opened the way to dhulm and haram. By encouraging mankind to the instruments of dissipation, it has also threw mankind into extreme laziness. It shatters the enthusiasm for work and labour and makes people waste their lives fruitlessly on the desires of nafs and dissipation. It has also made sick mankind, who is needy and became lazy, and caused the spreading and transmission of hundreds of types of illnesses through misuse and wastefulness.

Emirdağ Addendum-2 (100)

8. Thus, this hadith warns that the Sufyan makes people subjected to himself by encouraging wastefulness, arousing an intense greed and ambition and holding those weak veins of man. It informs that the one who wastes becomes his captive and falls into his trap.

The Fifth Ray-First Matter

9. Oh, my brothers! If ahl ad-dunyâ’s bootlickers and munâfiqs among the people of dhalâlah entrap you due to greed, which is a weak vein of humanity, think the above haqiqah and take this poor brother of yours as an example to follow. I assure you with all my strength that contentment and frugality maintain your life and ensure your rizq more than a salary. Especially, the haram money that is given to you will demand a price a thousand times higher from you in return. It can also be an obstacle to the Qur'anic service, an hour of which can open an eternal treasure for you, or it can cause you to lose your zeal. This is such a loss and emptiness that even if thousands of salaries were given to you every month, it cannot fill its place.

The Twenty-Ninth Letter-The Sixth Section, which is the Sixth Risale-Third Wile

10. I confess that my two situations were spoiling the complete ikhlas within the Qur'anic service and the service purely for the sake of Allah. I received a severe slap. Because in this region, I am in ghurbah and a stranger. Also, — may it not be a complaint — I suffer poverty since I do not conform to frugality and contentment, which are the most important principles of my Ustadh. Since I am compelled to mix with selfish and proud people — may Allah forgive me — I was compelled to riyâ and pretence liberally. My Ustadh warned, reminded and scolded me many times, but unfortunately, I could not save myself. Whereas jinn and men shaytans were profiting from this situation of mine which was opposed to the rûh of service to Al-Qur’an Al-Hakîm; it was also causing coldness and loss of zeal in our service.

The Tenth Flash-The Seventh

11. Tawakkul, contentment and frugality are such a treasury and wealth that can not be exchanged for anything. I do not want to close that inexhaustible treasuries and wealth by accepting goods from people. I offer hundreds of thousands of shukr to Ar-Razzâq Zuljalâl that since my childhood, He did not allow me to be compelled to enter into indebtedness and abasement. Relying on His munificence, I beseech from His rahmah that may He make me pass the remainder of my life in accordance with this rule.

The Second Letter-Fourth

12. O discontented greedy, and prodigal wasteful, and unjust complaining ghâfil man! Know certainly that contentment is profitable shukr, greed is harmful ingratitude. And frugality is beautiful and beneficial respect for ni’mahs. As for wastefulness, it is ugly and harmful contempt for ni’mahs. If you have the mind, learn contentment and work for the acceptance (ridhâ).

The Twenty-Fourth Letter/First Station/First Allusion

13. The measure of shukr is contentment and frugality (iqtisâd) and acceptance (ridhâ) and gratitude. The measure of lack of shukr is greed, wastefulness, disrespectfulness and eating whatever is encountered without considering whether it is halal or haram.

The Twenty-Eighth Letter-The Fifth Matter which is the Fifth Risale

14. Al-Khâliq, Who is Rahîm, wants shukr in return for the ni’mahs He bestows on mankind. As for wastefulness, it is contrary to shukr and it is a harmful contempt for the ni’mah. As for frugality, it is profitable respect towards the ni’mah. Yes, frugality is both a ma’nawî shukr, respect towards the rahmah of Allah within the ni’mahs, definitely a cause of barakah, a source of health for the body like a diet, a cause of dignity that will save from the abasement of ma’nawî beggary and a powerful cause of feeling the pleasure in ni’mah and of tasting the pleasure in ni’mahs that are seen as tasteless. As for wastefulness, since it is opposed to the aforementioned hikmahs, it has perilous consequences.

The Nineteenth Flash-First Subtle Point

15. Yes, one, who does not practice frugality, is a candidate for falling into abasement, misery and beggary in a ma’nawî manner. At this time, money that will be the means of wastefulness is very expensive. In return for it, sometimes dignity and honour are taken as a bribe. Sometimes, in return, the sacred matters of religion are taken then some evil money is given. That is to say, material goods worth three cents are bought by a ma’nawî loss of one hundred dollars.

The Nineteenth Flash-Fourth Subtle Point

16. Wastefulness results in greed. Greed produces three consequences:

The First is discontentment. As for discontentment, it shatters eagerness for labour and work. It causes complaint instead of shukr and casts the discontented into laziness.

Abandoning licit, halal and few possessions, {Note: Consumers increase and producers decrease due to lacking frugality. Everyone fixes his eye on the office of the government. Then, craft, trade and agriculture, the source of social life, decrease. Such nation gradually declines and impoverishes} one seeks haram possessions free of toil. And he sacrifices his honour in that way and even his dignity.

The Nineteenth Flash-Seventh Subtle Point

17. Since most people look upon the works of the âkhirah at a second level of importance through the intoxication of the trouble for livelihood, the people of dhalâlah exploit this and hunt them. InshâAllah, the students of the Risale-i Nur will respond to this ma’nawî sickness, too, with the principles of contentment and frugality.

Kastamonu Addendum (170)

18. True Nurjus, who possess ikhlas, do not attach importance to material benefits; through maximum frugality and contentment, patience and having istignâ from people, true ikhlas and self-sacrifice in the Quranic service, some of them, despite their poverty, in one respect, withdraw from social life's benefits so as to not be defeated by violent people of dhalâlah, who are many in number, and to not give rise to doubts, when calling the needy people to the haqiqah and ikhlas, and to not make the sacred service an instrument for anything other than the pleasure and acceptance of Allah.

 Emirdağ Addendum-2 (170)

19. Greed and ambition lead to a state of riyâ that will be a means of attracting people’s attention through weakness and poverty. The dignity of îmân that students of the Risale-i Nur receive from the lessons of the Risale-i Nur, such as frugality, contentment, tawakkul and showing approval of their lot in life, will inshâAllah prevent them from riyâ and self- centredness for the sake of worldly benefits.

Kastamonu Addendum (184)

20. An observation from the second phase of the life of service of Ustadh Bediuzzaman:

This phase started from the time of his seclusion in Van, and was forcefully exiled to Barla, a subdistrict of Isparta, which was the phase of "The emergence and dissemination of the Risale-i Nur." It is the service to îmân and ma’nawî religious jihad he embarked upon with the Risale-i Nur, through utmost ikhlas, utmost self-sacrifice, utmost loyalty, steadfastness, attentiveness and frugality.

Biography (27)

21- For the Qur’anic service, îmân and Islam, Bediuzzaman sacrificed his worldly comforts; he did not acquire personal wealth; having a life with asceticism, taqwâ, riyâzah, frugality and contentment, he severed his connections with the world.

The Words-Conference

22- So, understand, in the life of mankind, how essential principles are justice, frugality and cleanliness, which are among the haqiqahs of the Qur'an and the principles of Islam.

The Second Subtle Point Of The Thirtieth Flash

This brief compilation shows that abandoning waste and following utmost frugality is a fundamental principle.