Views /Opinion

Abandoning consumerism and adopting culture of saving

Arab societies, with our Qatari society at its heart, were not at any time more in need of abandoning the culture of consumerism and adopting the culture of saving than they are today and tomorrow as well. This comes at the wake of the proven fact that everyone faces in his/her enormous, unprecedented crises, and goes through inevitable upheavals for which no one is prepared. COVID-19 pandemic is just an example, as we are still facing its repercussions on the economy.
In anticipation of such conditions, we must today, before tomorrow, raise the slogan of saving at individual, family, and institutional levels. This is what developed countries are currently doing, to the extent that those clients who overspend are alerted by their banks via SMSs, sending them bank statements, reminding them of having overspent. The purpose of this is to let them limit spending on luxuries, and that such luxuries are not necessary as much as it is necessary to avail enough cash in their accounts.
Out of unanimous conviction that saving is important and necessary, the 31st of October of each year is set as the International Day of Savings, to promote saving as a culture among the members of society, the purpose of which is to achieve better and more stable living conditions. This initiative has not come out of the blue. It dates back to 1924 in the Italian city of Milan by the Italian Filippo Ravizza during the first conference held by the World Bank Association for Savings.
In addition, when we read the biographies of famous people around the world and examine them, we find that the first step for any of them on the path to wealth was saving, and here is the wife of the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, who says: “If children take sandwiches with them to school, they do not take out any money.” Here comes the role of the family. Families need to engage in dialogues with their children about money and the ways to earn and spend it, to broaden their awareness of the importance of saving and the role of money in our lives. 
The celebration of the International Day of Savings has come this year 2021 under the slogan “Understanding the Importance of Saving” to make this day effective and to discuss and understand the importance of saving money, which contributes to raising people’s awareness of the need to save their capital, and thus meet all their needs.
With the role of the family comes the role of educational, financial, commercial, civil society and other institutions to educate citizens about practicing the culture of saving as a living reality. This is one of the basics of implementing Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims primarily to provide a better environment and living conditions for all. That is done through the adoption of a set of school curricula and the savings programs that enable the citizen to fix an uncompromised certain percentage of his/her income for savings.
Mosque imams and preachers also have a major and convincing role to play in guiding society to the culture of saving and abhorring the culture of consumerism from an Islamic perspective, as Allah Almighty described the wasteful as brothers of the devils [Verse 27 of Surat Al-Isra]. Among the interpreters of this verse are those who said that spending an amount no matter how little it is without necessity is considered an act of foolishness and is wasteful. Where are we from these Islamic imperatives when we are chasing after brands and paying for them most of our savings? In fact, some of us even borrow to buy luxuries, which means expending money before earning it. 
Allah Almighty also commanded us to abandon extravagancy and told us that He does not like the extravagant. The Almighty said: “And eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” [HQ 7:31]. Extravagancy and over-spending deprive a person of the Love of Allah Almighty, and lead to repremansion and regret. “And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.” [HQ 17:29]. There are so many references in the Sunnah confirming this, which makes incumbent upon Imams and preachers to include advocacy for the culture of saving in their programmes.
Social media activists are requested to organize campaigns and initiatives that take our youth and society into the world of saving with all its benefits and merits, and abandon the world of consumerism with all its losses and demerits. Dear reader, control the money before the lack of money controls you and your life.
Dr. Buthaina Al Ansari is a Qatari academic and author. She held many senior  positions in government and private sectors and higher education institutions including Qatar University.