Simplicity in Islam
Key Takeaways
Islam’s idea of simple living does not involve the abandonment of life’s pleasures. Muslims are free to enjoy life’s pleasures, such as good food and beautiful clothing.
A simple life in Islam consists of i) moderation and avoiding excess, ii) enjoying Allah’s (SWT) blessings while ensuring their physical and moral purity, and iii) keeping our hearts free from immorality.
Our modern lifestyles are completely devoid of moderation and filled with all manner of excesses. We must return to the Prophetic way and adopt a middle path in all aspects of our lives, such as our conduct, spending habits, and even our efforts for the Dunya and Akhirah.
Our extravagant modern lifestyle has left a destructive mark on the Earth. As we have highlighted previously, excessive consumerism and waste are destroying the Earth and threatening all life on the planet.
Not only is a shift toward a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle the need of the hour, but it is also one of the requirements of Islam.
As the Prophet (SAW) explained:
This raises a question – what exactly is Islam’s concept of simple living?
Simplicity does not mean depriving yourself
As opposed to many popular notions, Islam’s idea of simple living does not involve the abandonment of life’s pleasures. It does not mean living an ascetic life – a kind of life where all of life’s pleasures are considered distractions and avoided in favor of spiritual pursuits.
Pleasures of life, here, refers to things such as delicious food, or beautiful clothing.
This is clearly indicated in the Qur’an:
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Who has forbidden the adornment which Allah has brought forth for His creatures or the good things (tayyibat) from among the means of sustenance?’ Say: ‘These are for the enjoyment of the believers in this world, and shall be exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection.’ ”
The Arabic word for adornment in the verse above is zīnat, which means something that beautifies another thing, such as beautiful clothing, jewelry, etc. [1]
The Prophet (SAW) elaborated upon this eloquently:
We see practical examples of this in the lives of our great scholars as well. For example, Imam Malik was well-known for wearing elegant clothing. [2]
Thus, the discussion above makes it clear that good dress and delicious food (as long as it is tayyib i.e. physically and morally pure) are not forbidden, and abstaining from such blessings is not a requirement to lead a simple life in Islam.
The image shows a vegan bean burger and French fries.
An attitude of moderation
However, our enjoyment of these pleasures and blessings must be accompanied with an attitude of moderation and avoidance of extravagant wastefulness.
The verse preceding the one quoted above makes this very clear:
The simple life that Islam asks us to live, is a life of moderation free from excessiveness of all kinds. Moderation is such a comprehensive principle in Islam, that it must guide all aspects of our lives.
Whether it be our prayer:
Do not recite too loudly in your prayer nor too softly, but seek a way between them.
– The Holy Qur’an (17:110)
Whether it be the way we conduct ourselves:
Be moderate in your pace and lower your voice.
– The Holy Qur’an (31:19)
Whether it be our spending habits:
They are those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly, but follow a middle way between them.
– The Holy Qur’an (25:67)
Whether it be our feelings:
Let not your love be a total infatuation and let not your hatred be destruction.
– Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, 1322)
Or even in balancing our efforts for this world and the Hereafter:
Seek the home of the Hereafter by that which Allah has given you, but do not forget your share of the world.
– The Holy Qur’an (28:77)
Thus, what must be kept in mind while enjoying the pleasures Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon us, is to remain moderate and mindful of the limits He has placed.
These limits help us ensure that we exist in accordance with the Mizan i.e. the Divine Balance upon which Allah (SWT) has created this magnificent universe and everything in it. Because it is this Balance that the continued existence of our world depends upon.
Unfortunately, our present way of life stands in total violation of Islam’s principles of moderation, and transgresses the Mizan of this world.
The three aspects of a simple life in Islam
Based on the above, we conclude that to lead a simple life, Islam requires three things:
Live a life of moderation and avoid excess.
Enjoy Allah’s (SWT) blessings while ensuring their physical and moral purity.
Keep our hearts free from arrogance and other moral failings.
A sad state of affairs
And yet what do we observe around us?
In our attempts to outdo one another and rise on the social ladder, we fill our homes with things we do not need, and partake in excessive consumerism. This leads to a social atmosphere where everyone is blindly pursuing their desires, and destroying the Earth while they’re at it – the world produces over 2 billion tons of waste every year, and this is expected to go well over 3 billion tons by 2050.
We also excessively engage in the consumption of animal products, such as meat, blatantly disregarding the warnings of the Prophet’s Companions [3], and giving life to an industry that causes immense suffering and violations of Islamic injunctions on an unprecedented scale, as well as, again, destroying the planet.
It seems, unfortunately, that we have readily taken on our God-given right to enjoy the pleasures of the world, but have completely forsaken the requirements of moderation and limits that come with it.
Changing our ways
We must change our ways, and strive for a return to Islam’s concept of a simple life. A life where we fully enjoy all the blessings Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon this beautiful Earth while being mindful of His limits.
To learn about putting Islamic ideals of simplicity into practice and start incorporating them in your life, read our suggestions here. Also visit our Green Living Guide to learn some simple, everyday acts you can adopt for a more sustainable lifestyle.
[1] Pirzada, S. (1983). Da’wat Al-Qur’an.
[2] Shafi, M. (1998). Maariful Qur’an. Maktaba Darul-Uloom Publisher, Karachi, Pakistan.
[3] “Beware of meat, for meat can be as addictive as wine.” – Umar ibn al-Khattab (al-Muwaṭṭa, 1742)
