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
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
And We send down of the Qur’ān that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.
وَمَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِهِۦ ۖ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا ۖ مَّأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَـٰهُمْ سَعِيرًا
And whoever Allāh guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - you will never find for them protectors besides Him, and We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces - blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides, We increase [for] them blazing fire.
وَقُرْءَانًا فَرَقْنَـٰهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَـٰهُ تَنزِيلًا
And [it is] a Qur’ān which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَـٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Exalted is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.