Everyone should be given the amount (of food) he needs.

Everyone should be given the amount (of food) he needs.’” Upon hearing this, the Christian remarked, “Your Book and your Prophet have not omitted anything from medical science and Galen (the Greek physician) had nothing more to say.” The Almighty Allah (S.w.T.) says in the Qur’an, “...eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant.” (Surah al-’An’ām 6:141) A verse in Surah Ghāfir states, “Thus does Allah cause him to err who is extravagant, a doubter.” (Surah Ghāfir, 40:34) Similarly, “...the extravagant are the inmates of the fire.” (Surah Ghāfir, 40:43) Also, “And thus do We recompense him who is extravagant and does not believe in the communication of his Lord; and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is severer and more lasting.” (Surah Tā Hā, 20:127) Allah the Almighty again says, “...and do not squander wastefully, surely the squanderers are the followers of the shaitans and the Shaitan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.” (Surah al-‘Isrā’, 17:26-27) Tafsīr Minhaj cites the extravagance and prodigality of the pre-Islamic Arabs.

When the rich among them invited someone for dinner, they slaughtered several camels to show off their wealth. The Almighty Allah has denounced their extravagance and has said that they squander their wealth like the insane. Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says, “Certainly, moderation is liked by Allah and He dislikes extravagance; even in the throwing away of a date-seed, because that too can be used (Arabs feed date-seeds to camels).

And the same is with the throwing away of water left after drinking.” (Because even this can be put to some use).[^1] The Imam (a.s.) has also said: “Fear Allah and be not extravagant nor miserly. Be moderate. Verily, extravagance is waste. The Almighty Allah says, ‘And do not waste!’ Certainly Allah has never punished the people who practise moderation.”[^2] It means that the Divine punishment is reserved for both the squanderer as well as the miser.

Bushr Ibn Umar says, “I went to Imam Sadiq (a.s.) and he placed some dates before us. We began to eat the dates and some of us were throwing away the seeds.