And when he mentioned their actions and sayings regarding what is between them and the creation, and he preceded it, and the Creator, and delayed it, because its obligation would be after that, he mentioned their states regarding their wealth, considering the saying of the disbelievers: ﴿Or is a treasure thrown to him?﴾ [Al-Furqan: 8] and guidance to the path of wealth, for indeed, he who is moderate will not be in need. So he said: ﴿And those who, when they spend﴾, meaning for the creation or the Creator in what is obligatory or recommended, ﴿are neither extravagant﴾, meaning they do not exceed the limit in spending by wastefulness, thus wasting wealth in what is not rightfully theirs, and they would be brothers of the devils, who are of the Fire, and their actions are like its actions. ﴿Nor are they stingy﴾, meaning they do not restrict and thus waste the rights; then he clarified justice by saying: ﴿And their spending﴾ is ﴿between that﴾, meaning the action that must be avoided.

And when he knew that what is between the two condemned extremes is justice, he stated it in his saying: ﴿A balance﴾, meaning justice, equally between the two condemned traits: excess and deficiency, embodying the attribute of His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And if Allah had extended provision for His servants, they would have transgressed in the earth; but He sends down by measure what He wills﴾ [Ash-Shura: 27]. And this is the attribute of the companions of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and may Allah be pleased with them - they did not eat food for indulgence and pleasure, nor did they wear clothing for beauty and adornment, rather they ate what sufficed their hunger and aided them in worship, and they wore what covered their nakedness and protected them from heat and cold. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'It is enough extravagance that a man desires something and then buys it and eats it.'