spending on military campaigns and the needy, which is, in principle, either a communal obligation or recommended, although it may become an individual obligation when no one else undertakes it. Feeding the hungry is obligatory. Hence the statement in the hadith:

“If the beggar were truthful, whoever turned him away would not prosper.”

Imam Ahmad cited this and stated that if one knows the beggar is truthful, one must feed him. Abū Hātim al-Bustī also narrated in his Sahīh the lengthy hadith reported by Abū Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which contains various kinds of knowledge and wisdom. It includes the following saying from the wisdom of the house of David, peace be upon him:

“A person of sound judgment ought to set aside four periods: a period in which he communes privately with his Lord; a period in which he calls himself to account; a period in which he meets privately with companions who tell him his faults and speak to him about himself; and a period in which he enjoys lawful and becoming pleasures in private. This last period helps him with the others.”

This makes clear that lawful, becoming pleasures are indispensable, for they help one attend to those other matters. Hence the jurists stated that uprightness consists in religious rectitude and dignified conduct: doing what enhances and adorns a person, and avoiding what taints and disgraces him.

Abū al-Dardā’, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say:

“I refresh myself with a little idle diversion to help me uphold what is right.”

Allah, glorified is He, originally created pleasures and desires to serve the full welfare of His creation, for through them they obtain what benefits them, just as He created anger so that they might use it to ward off