Avoiding waste

Surah Al-A'raf 31 reminds us of the limit of not being wasteful while permitting eating and drinking. Acting with moderation is not the opposite of benefiting from blessings. It offers a daily starting point to think about taking more than necessary, throwing things away without using them, or turning consumption into a display.

The verse mentions eating and drinking while also noting the importance of appearing appropriate and attentive in places of worship. Permission and limits are expressed together: one benefits from the blessing, but the measure is not exceeded. This approach differs both from viewing the satisfaction of needs as wrong and from regarding consumption as an unlimited right.

To think about waste, one can look at food regularly thrown away at home or at items accumulated without ever being used. Shopping by recognizing needs, repairing what exists, or sharing a usable item appropriately are daily options. Each person's means and needs are not the same.

Instead of using this principle to judge the lives of others from afar, it is more concrete to start understanding our own habits. We can ask small questions about what we buy, why we buy it, and whether we actually use it. Moderation is not just consuming less, but approaching the given means with care.