A discount label can make something we had not considered seem like a need. The Treatise on Economy teaches us to find moderation in our spending and to appreciate the value of blessings.
We go into the market to buy bread and eggs. As we approach the checkout, a box of baklava in the confectionery section catches our eye. We buy a box to have with tea in the evening. When we see on the label that the second box is half price, our hand reaches for the shelf once more.
Yet the second box had not crossed our minds a moment earlier. Now, not buying it feels like missing an opportunity. Without considering how much we will eat when we take it home, we calculate how much we will benefit from the discount. We pay for two boxes when one would have been enough.
Reverence for blessings
The Treatise on Economy begins with the measure set out in verse 31 of the Qur’an’s Surah al-A‘raf: eat and drink, but avoid waste. In the First Point, Bediuzzaman explains economy as respect shown to blessings:
“Economy is a respectful regard for blessings, in a sense of trading with them.” [1]
Respect means reverence. This reverence also enables us to benefit from a blessing for longer. Using the blessing brought to our table according to our needs, preserving what remains, and avoiding waste demonstrate the value we place on it. Bediuzzaman regards this as “spiritual gratitude.” [1] Gratitude, then, is reflected in our conduct as well. Not throwing bread away is a way of cherishing the bounty of our Lord, who has bestowed bread upon us.
The taste of a morsel
In the Second Point, the human body is likened to a palace. The sense of taste is the palace’s gatekeeper. The foods that arrive are gifts presented to the palace, while the pleasant taste in the mouth is like a tip for the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper’s duty is to serve the needs of the palace.
To illustrate this, Bediuzzaman compares two morsels. One is a nutritious food such as cheese or eggs; the other is baklava. In the parable, the baklava morsel is given a price ten times that of the other. The Master draws attention to how much the expenditure increases for a difference in taste that lasts “half a minute” in the mouth. [2] The gatekeeper’s tip has exceeded the price of the gift presented to the palace.
The example of the two morsels in the Treatise on Economy.
The Third Point deepens this parable in terms of gratitude. Through our sense of taste, we recognise the varied flavours of blessings and feel the bounty of Almighty God. Here, Bediuzzaman draws attention to intention, saying, “if one seeks the pleasure for the sake of gratitude.” It is essential to eat and appreciate the taste of a blessing within what is lawful, without extravagance or spending in a way that places us under an obligation to others, and to give thanks to our Lord. [2]
Enjoying a slice of baklava with tea also has its place within this measure. We take into account how many people we will serve, our budget, and how much will be eaten. If two boxes are needed for a large gathering, we take advantage of the discount. If one box will suffice, there is no need to look for new reasons to buy a second just because the price has gone down.
When a want becomes a need
As certain wants recur frequently, they become part of what we consider indispensable in our lives. When we get used to buying more than we need every time we shop, we begin to regard the amount that meets our needs as insufficient. The Fourth Point speaks of “non-essential needs” becoming “essential needs.” [3] In other words, something unnecessary may, over time, come to be regarded as a necessity.
In the market example, the second box helps us recognise this transition. We can reflect on the same thing when buying clothes or encountering a new phone model. Preserving the distinction between liking something and needing it helps us assess our spending more clearly.
Contentment means appreciating the value of the blessings we have and being satisfied with what is sufficient. The Seventh Point explains that waste leads a person to greed and discontent, while contentment inspires one to work. [3] A person makes good use of lawful earnings, works, and develops their means. They do not regard what they have as worthless simply because they cannot fulfil every new desire.
Economy and generosity
Economy also helps us preserve the means to offer hospitality. Bediuzzaman’s statement in the Fifth Point is clear:
“Economy is dignity and generosity.” [4]
The recollection about honey that he relates in the same section illustrates this. By using the honey he had in moderation, Bediuzzaman ate it himself and also served it to his students at iftar throughout Sha‘ban and Ramadan. His care for the blessing ensured that his hospitality could continue. [4] With what we save, we can also meet another person’s needs.
When we reach for the second box at the market, it is enough to pause and think: Would I still buy this if it were not discounted? If one box will be enough for that evening, we can leave the second on the shelf. Taking the blessing home and eating it by sharing it with others, appreciating its taste, and remembering our Lord who bestowed it is a way of valuing our table.
Sources
[1] Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes, The Nineteenth Flash, Treatise on Economy, First Point.
[2] The same work, Second and Third Points.
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