Chapter 356
Prohibition of Squandering Wealth

1781. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Verily, Allah likes three things for you and disapproves three things for you. He likes that you should worship Him Alone, not to associate anything with Him (in worship) and to hold fast to the Rope of Allah and not to be divided among yourselves; and He disapproves for you irrelevant talk, persistent questioning and the squandering of the wealth.''
[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned [Hadith No. 342]. Although the initial portion is missing there and three things which have been disliked are mentioned in its text. Beside stressing Tauhid, holding fast to the Rope of Allah and unity (which are greatly liked by Allah), this Hadith forbids unnecessary debate, hair-splitting and extravagance as all the three are disliked by Allah.

Wealth has a great importance in man's life since it is the very source of sustenance and basis of his livelihood, its wastage is akin to cutting the branch of the tree on which one is sitting.

1782. Warrad, the scribe of Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah dictated a letter to me addressed to Mu`awiyah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) used to supplicate at the end of each obligatory Salat (prescribed prayer): "La ilaha illallahu, wahadahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir. Allahumma la mani`a lima a`taita, wa la mu`tiya lima mana`ta, wa la yanfa`u dhal-jaddi mink-al-jaddu. (There is no true god except Allah, the One, Who has no partner. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Able to do everything. O Allah! Nobody can withhold what You give; and nobody can give what You withhold; and the high status of a person is of no avail against Your Will).'' He also wrote to him that the Prophet (PBUH) used to forbid irrelevant talk, wasteful expenditure, persistent questioning, disobedience of parents (especially mothers), infanticide of daughters by burying them alive, depriving others of their rights and acquisition of property wrongfully.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: The matters mentioned in this Hadith have been discussed in detail before. What this Hadith specially brings out is that the custom or writing or dictating Ahadith existed even during the age of the Companions. In this respect that was the first period of the compilation of Ahadith. Thus, it is wrong to say that there did not exist any system of recording Hadith in the days of the Companions.