count as extravagance for him, because he has not thereby exceeded the limits of his wealth. But if a poor man were to do the same, we would pronounce it extravagance and declare it unlawful. Many of today’s poor and middle-income people fall into error when they try to keep pace with the rich; this is a serious mistake. As the common proverb puts it, “Stretch your legs only as far as your blanket reaches: if the blanket is wide, stretch them out; if it is narrow, draw them in.” To be poor yet insist on matching the affluent in food and drink, clothing, wedding expenses, vehicles, and housing is sheer folly—and it is forbidden. Some go even further: they take out loans and burden themselves with debt merely to furnish their homes as lavishly as their wealthy neighbours. This too is wrong and is among the things Allah has prohibited. Extravagance is to overstep the proper bounds, and Allah does not love those who are extravagant. He has praised His servants who, when they spend, are neither prodigal nor stingy but take a balanced course. One form of extravagance is accumulating multiple garments without need. Many women today, whenever a new style appears, rush to buy it until their homes are crammed with clothes they do not require. If a design comes out that differs only slightly from the last, she says, “That’s it—I’m not wearing the old one; I’ll wear the new dress.” Some women even manipulate certain men, directing them: “Buy this, buy that,” so that—except for those whom Allah protects—authority in spending has shifted from men to women. A man must act like a man and stop his wife from being extravagant, whether the money is hers or his. Another impermissible avenue of spending is to lay out money for something unlawful, such as those who purchase cigarettes. This is forbidden; Allah has prohibited it because it is a flagrant waste of wealth. A person spends his money on something only to burn it, for a cigarette can be smoked only after it is set alight. It is as though the man has set his very banknotes on fire and destroyed them for something that also harms him—if only he would keep himself safe!