Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Taqi

My father, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani (may Allah have mercy upon him) used to say something very useful in regards to wastage. He would say that to increase income is not within one’s control. In that a person acquire however much one desires is not in one’s control. At most they can make an effort but there is no guaranty that as a result income will increase. This is not in the control of humans; however, reducing cost is in within control of humans.

[Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani relates regarding Ml. Asghar Hussain (also known as Miya Sahib),]

His house and living quarters were made of mud. Every year, during the rainy seasons, the plastering of the house was inevitable. This cost significant amount of time and money. Once, my father (Mufti Shafi Usmani) said to Miya Sahib, “Sir! The amount it cost to plaster the house yearly, if you built a brick house the amount will be recouped in two to three years and you will be forever free of this labour”.

Our culture has become such that the delight we get in criticising, taking faults and analysing the vices of others is not to be found in any work of real change. To discuss the problems of our surrounding is a pass time for which we invent creative ways of new insight but we are unwilling to take any significant steps to alleviate these problems. If we take up the standard then our wish is that somebody else start the reformation [for us]. Our reformative works progresses on the notion that other than us every person is corrupt – we are responsible for correcting their character and deed.

"Oh Allah! In truth we are not deserving of gaining this knowledge or becoming its student; we have no capacity. The reality is that our smutty mouths and filthy tongues are not even good enough to be permitted to say the name of Muhammad Rasul Allah (صلي الله عليه و سلم) let alone be given the opportunity to study his Ahadith and utterances. Oh Allah! We have absolutely no capacity to study the words of your beloved (صلي الله عليه و سلم), however, Oh Allah! You are the creator and maintainer of capacity.