إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًا 27
Translations
Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.
Transliteration
Inna al-mubadhdhireena kanoo ikhwana ash-shayateeni wa kana ash-shaytan li-rabbihi kafura
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah condemns extravagance and wasteful spending by equating those who squander their wealth with the brothers of Satan, emphasizing the spiritual danger of such behavior. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this comparison highlights how wasteful spending reflects the same disobedience and ingratitude that characterize Satan himself, who was ungrateful to his Lord (kafur). The ayah establishes a direct link between financial irresponsibility and moral corruption, warning that wastefulness is not merely an economic vice but a spiritual one that distances one from divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan surah that addresses various moral and social commandments. It forms part of a passage (17:26-27) discussing proper conduct toward parents and balanced spending—neither stingy nor wasteful. The context suggests this teaching was relevant to both the early Muslim community and the broader Arabian society, addressing a common human weakness of either hoarding wealth or squandering it.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), contextualizing proper resource management within family duties. Additionally, the Prophet warned against wastefulness even with water during ablution, demonstrating the comprehensive Islamic principle against extravagance (Sunan Ibn Majah 425).
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims are called to practice moderation and conscious spending, avoiding both miserliness and wastefulness, as financial irresponsibility reflects spiritual disease and distance from divine mercy. This ayah reminds us that how we use our resources is a moral and spiritual matter that reflects our relationship with Allah and our gratitude for His blessings.
Related Ayahs
وَإِن كَادُوا۟ لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِىَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُۥ ۖ وَإِذًا لَّٱتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا
And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
وَقَالُوٓا۟ أَءِذَا كُنَّا عِظَـٰمًا وَرُفَـٰتًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ خَلْقًا جَدِيدًا
And they say, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected as a new creation?"
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَـٰبًا نَّقْرَؤُهُۥ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا
Or you have a house of ornament [i.e., gold] or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا
But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allāh].