Is It Sinful to Buy Items That Remain Unused?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

We often purchase household items or furniture and end up not using them. Is this sinful, and what should we do to avoid sin in such cases?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

Extravagance and Waste

Purchasing household items, furniture, or anything else that a person does not need or use is not sinful in itself, but it is makruh (disliked) because it constitutes a form of extravagance and wasting money without necessity or benefit. Allah (Most High) has forbidden extravagance, as He says:

“O Children of Adam! Dress properly whenever you are at worship. Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” [Quran, 7:31]

He also says:

“Ask, (O Prophet,) ‘Who has forbidden the adornments and lawful provisions Allah has brought forth for His servants?’” [Quran, 7:32]

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) clarified that it is impermissible to waste wealth and that Allah (Most High) dislikes such behavior. He (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

“Indeed, Allah has forbidden disobedience to mothers, withholding while demanding, and burying daughters alive. And He dislikes for you gossiping, excessive questioning, and wasting wealth.” [Bukhari]

What Should Be Done?

To avoid this dislike (karaha), I advise you, if you do not use this furniture or items purchased without necessity, to gift them to those in need—of whom there are many in our times—or sell them instead of keeping them unused, where they are prone to deterioration or loss of value over time.

Important Note: Many families purchase household items for emergency or occasional use rather than for regular, essential needs—such as certain utensils or furnishings. This does not constitute a dislike of such actions because there is a presumed need for them. Allah (Most High) knows best.

I conclude with a narration from ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her). She said:

“The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) entered upon me and saw a piece of bread lying on the ground. He picked it up, wiped it, and said: ‘O Aisha, be excellent in appreciating the blessings of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For rarely does a blessing flee from a household and then return to them.’” [Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman]

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.