The stance of the Glorious Qur'an from luxury and the sybarites

Luxury is indulgence in enjoying and expansion in the causes of welfare.

The sybarites are: The affluent who were misled by the blessing and the luxury of life.

Luxury has two sides: One is financial which is enjoying and the other is moral which is ingratitude.

The Glorious Qur'an considers the existence of the sybarites an imminent danger that threatens the human life and fill its future with fogs.

Securing the happiness of people as well as their rights require taking the possible procedures to prevent luxury and the sybarites.

The sybarites look down at Allah's Favors which they were given to them.

The abundance of favors, the fewness of thanking Allah, consuming them in futility, and not giving them to the needy tempt them to look down to them.

Perhaps that is the reason why they will be from the denizens of the Fire who deserve the wrath of Allah and His Painful Punishment. "And those on the Left Hand - how (unfortunate) will be those on the Left Hand? * In fierce hot wind and boiling water, * And shadow of black smoke,* (That shadow) neither cool, nor (even) pleasant, * Verily, before that, they indulged in luxury, * And were persisting in great sin (joining partners in worship along with Allâh, committing murder and other crimes)." [Surat Al Waqi`ah: 41 - 46].

Therefore, the sybarites in the Qur'an are the enemy of every message, the opponents of every rehabilitation and progress, and the followers of every old thing even if it is a plain error; so they are the source of wide corruption and renewed trials.

The Glorious Qur'an has detailed in many of its Surahs the stance of the sybarites toward every sent scripture and every prophet, hence denial was their main course toward the religion with which Allah sent His Prophets starting from Noah (Peace be upon him) to the last of all Prophets and Messengers i.e., Muhammad (peace be upon him).

It is surprising to find similarity in all their responses to the extent that you feel they have the same feelings and they defend one interest.

Since the time of Noah (Peace be upon him) until today, we find this luxurious and arrogant class stand in the face of the call, belittle the status of the poor followers of Prophets who had no money or prestige, and ask them to expel those low people from their point of view. "The chiefs who disbelieved among his people said: We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us, in fact we think you are liars." [Surat Hud: 27].

So, Noah responds to their obstinacy saying: "And O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allâh. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant. * And O my people! Who will help me against Allâh, if I drove them away? Will you not then give a thought?" [Surat Hud: 29 - 30].

The situation of the sybarites after the people of Noah whom Allah annihilated did not change. "Then, after them, We created another generation. * And We sent to them a Messenger from among themselves (saying): Worship Allâh! You have no other Ilâh (God) but Him. Will you not then be afraid (of Him i.e. of His Punishment because of worshipping others besides Him)? * And the chiefs of his people who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and whom We had given the luxuries and comforts of this life, said: "He is no more than a human being like you, he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink." [Surat Al Mu'minun: 31 - 33].

That stubborn situation continued until the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and they became the first to belie and fight him, accordingly the Glorious Qur'an threatened them in a number of the Makkan surahs: "And leave Me Alone to deal with the deniers (those who deny My Verses), those who are in possession of good things of life. And give them respite for a little while." [Surat Al Muzzammil: 11].

"Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!" [Surat Al Hijr: 3].

The Qur'an shows the situation of the sybarites from divine messages in general. Allah says: "And We did not send a warner to a township, but those who were given the worldly wealth and luxuries among them said: We believe not in the (Message) with which you have been sent. * And they say: We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished." [Surat Saba': 34 - 35].

Those people have gone astray when they connected between the glory of the world and the happiness of the Hereafter with the abundance of their money and children, but the Qur'an replies by explaining the correct way of the human glory which is righteous deeds and good manners, not ingratitude due to their. "And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us (i.e. please Allâh), but only he who believes (in the Islâmic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds (will please Us); as for such, there will be twofold reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings (Paradise) in peace and security." [Surat Saba': 37].

Luxury corrupts an individual because it occupies him with the lusts of his stomach and private parts and distracts him to seek good manners because it kills the spirit of Jihad, seriousness, and roughness, and makes a person servant for the life of luxury and comfort. Therefore, the Messenger (peace be upon him) says: "Let the slave of Dinar and Dirham of Qatifa and Khamisa (i.e. money and luxurious clothes) perish for he is pleased if these things are given to him, and if not, he is displeased!" Likewise, luxury corrupts people and works as a premonitory to their destruction, therefore, the Glorious Qur'an correlated between it and injustice and criminality. The secret behind that is: The few sybarite class steal with their luxury the rights of the disadvantaged majority unjustly and get fattened at the expense of their emaciation out of their criminality.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasâd (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, (but there were none)? except a few of those whom We saved from among them! Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers in Allâh, polytheists, sinners)." [Surat Hud: 116].

Hence, luxury in the Glorious Qur'an was one of the strongest causes of social corruption, especially if the sybarites increase and become of power and prestige. The Qur'an explained this social Sunnah in Allah's Saying: "And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allâh and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction." [Surat Al Isra': 16].

It was mentioned in the book of At-Tahrir wat-Tanwir (Vol. 8 / p. 199): The Ayah mentioned the sybarites although the Messengers address all people because their disobedience of command is the cause of their lewdness and the lewdness of their people because they are the leaders of the common and the leaders of disbelief. So, the discourse is directed to them more than others because if they disobey the command, the common will follow them which will lead to the spread of lewdness in villages and its destruction.

Destruction is destruction of building and removing its traces which is used here instead of eradication because the meaning is annihilation of the people without destroying their buildings as in Allah's Saying: "And ask (the people of) the town." [Surat Yusuf: 82].

When villages allow the sybarites to exist and live, destruction will be inevitable.

The will here is not the will for destruction which initiates the reason but the result of the cause because it is a common law, so it is a result to the spread of lewdness. Here, it becomes clear the role of the group in stopping lewdness which will be destructive to all the people if they do not desist this sinfulness.

That common law was applied to the people since Noah until now; whenever sins spread in a nation, it will be destroyed, and Allah is All Acquainted with the sins of His Servants. "And how many generations have We destroyed after Nûh (Noah)! And Sufficient is your Lord as Well-Acquainted and All-Beholder of the sins of His slaves." [Surat Al Isra': 17].

Moreover, deluging in luxury and enjoyment is a cause for Allah's trials and punishment and the delay of victory. "Until, when We seize those of them who lead a luxurious life with punishment: behold they make humble invocation with a loud voice. * Invoke not loudly this day! Certainly, you shall not be helped by Us." [Surat Al Mu'minun: 64 - 65].

"How many a town (community) given to wrong-doing, have We destroyed, and raised up after them another people! * Then, when they perceived (saw) Our Torment (coming), behold, they (tried to) flee from it. * Flee not, but return to that wherein you lived a luxurious life, and to your homes, in order that you may be questioned." [Surat Al Anbiya': 11 - 13].

Therefore, we find that Islam has forbidden the prominent examples of luxury, of these examples:

The prohibition of eating in golden and silver utensils:

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The one who eats and drinks in silver vessels shall be dragged from his stomach in the fire of Hell."

Wearing silk clothes:

Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: "Do not wear silk or Dibaj, and do not drink in golden or silver vessels, and do not eat in plates of such metals." Likewise, neither these vessels nor golden and silver statues should be taken as decoration and ornaments because in that case the sin is doubled because of the prohibition of statues and the prohibition of taking them as ornaments.

The golden Jewelry and silk clothes for men:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "These two are forbidden for the males of my Ummah."

The prohibition includes the golden pen, watch ...etc.

Thus, the authentic texts of Shari`ah support one another to achieve the unity of the nation and keep it in the shade of truthful faith and comprehensive justice.

May Allah guide us to success!