is lawful and becoming, for (1) this hour helps him through those other hours. A person of reason should understand his times, guard his tongue, and attend to his own affairs.” (2)

Thus, he made clear that wholesome, permissible pleasures are indispensable, for they assist one in accomplishing those other matters.

This is why the jurists stated that upright character consists of rectitude in religion and honorable conduct. They explained honorable conduct as adopting whatever ennobles and adorns a person and avoiding whatever sullies and disgraces him (3).

Abū al-Dardā used to say, “I refresh myself with a little idle amusement so that it may strengthen me in pursuing the truth” (4).

Allah—glorified and exalted is He—created appetites and pleasures in the first place only to secure the full welfare of His creatures, for through them (5) they obtain what benefits them. Likewise, He created anger so that they may use it to repel what harms them. Of these, He prohibited (6) whatever is harmful to partake of. He also censured those who confine themselves to such pleasures and become preoccupied with them at the expense of their religion’s welfare, as well as those who indulge in them excessively, whether in kind or measure. Allah Most High says, “Do not be excessive. Indeed, He does not love those who commit excess” [al-Anām: 141]. He also says, “When they spend, they are neither extravagant nor miserly, but maintain a just balance between the two. (67)” [al-Furqān: 67]. And He says, “Do not spend wastefully. (26) Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and Satan has ever been, to his Lord