PAV 5th Edition
PAV@pakamericanvoice.com
Aug 16, 2026
BY SHAHID ALI SUNNI | HOUSTON, TEXAS
Houston’s Pakistani and Muslim community is vibrant and successful. Almost every week brings dinners, musical evenings, qawwalis, visiting artists, elaborate birthday celebrations and large social functions. Enjoying life and meeting friends is not itself the problem. The question is one of proportion and priority.
At a time when families are struggling with rent, groceries, medical bills and education, should thousands of dollars repeatedly be spent on a few hours of entertainment while someone in the same community wonders how to pay next month’s bills?
A QUESTION OF PRIORITY
Even a portion of what is spent on a lavish evening could redirect a struggling family, help a student afford tuition, buy medicine for an elderly person, or quietly rescue someone falling behind on rent.
Islam gives us a remarkably clear principle. The Qur’an commands Muslims to give relatives, the poor and the traveler their due and warns against wasteful spending (Qur’an 17:26-27). It describes the servants of Allah as those who are neither extravagant nor miserly, but maintain a balanced way between the two (Qur’an 25:67).
Islam does not call upon us to abandon every celebration or lawful enjoyment. It asks us to remember our responsibilities before turning celebration into extravagance.
THE WEIGHTIER SHARIAT DUTIES
People often speak loudly about enforcing Shariat while saying far less about the Qur’an’s repeated commands concerning justice, charity, the rights of the poor, care for relatives and restraint from waste. These are not secondary matters. They are among the major moral and social obligations emphasized in the Holy Qur’an.
The Qur’an identifies parents, relatives, orphans, the poor and travelers among those deserving our generosity (Qur’an 2:215).
“He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry.”
This Prophetic reminder, reported in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, should make every one of us pause. The point is not to condemn a particular organizer, artist, birthday party or community event. Nor is it a declaration that every form of entertainment is forbidden. Islamic scholars differ on some forms of music and celebration. The larger question is about israf excess and waste and about our moral priorities.
Shariat cannot be reduced to the issues that attract the loudest arguments. Its core also includes feeding the hungry, protecting dignity, dealing fairly, helping the vulnerable and refusing extravagance. Before demanding that others follow Islamic law, we should first examine whether our own spending reflects these clear Qur’anic duties.
If Allah has blessed us with wealth, perhaps the greatest celebration of that blessing is not showing others how much we can spend, but showing Allah how much we can share.
BEFORE THE NEXT LAVISH EVENING, ASK:
Could part of this money feed a family? Could it educate a child? Could it pay somebody’s medical bill? Could it relieve a person drowning in debt? Could it restore dignity to someone too embarrassed to ask for help?
A strong community should certainly gather and enjoy its blessings. But it must also know who among its neighbors is hurting. In difficult economic times, perhaps our community does not need more displays of prosperity. Perhaps it needs more displays of compassion.
Sometimes the most beautiful celebration is the one nobody photographs — the moment when one human being quietly makes life easier for another.
Shahid Ali Sunni is thankful to Faheem Akhoond for giving him the opportunity to publish this article in Pak American Voice.
References: Qur’an 17:26-27, 25:67, 2:215; Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 112.