Minimalism is a philosophical attribute that advocates for owing fewer possessions and relinquishing all unnecessary things. In other words, it is a conscious decision to live with less material possessions, and refrain from excessive materialism and consumerism.
In the contemporary world, the economy is working on a consumerist basis where people are more inclined to buy more things and multiply their possessions. In consequence, the amount of wastage is growing day by day. According to a report given by World Bank, currently, 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated in the world every year and this is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025 [1].
Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier, once claimed “people are out on a hunt to buy, to own things then ended up miserable just for materialist possessions” [2]. In fact, consumerism is more than just satisfying, it produces, psychologically, more anxiety and greed in human beings. Meanwhile, ‘living with less’ creates space for your passions, relationships, health, and mental well-being and it further reduces the stress and anxiety associated with clutter [3].
Today, by analyzing the positive effect of minimalism, most people are encouraged to adopt minimalism in order to sustain a peaceful lifestyle. In 2015, Netflix premiered ‘Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things’ which explores the walks of self-declared minimalist from various angles. The movie also explores the minimalist ideology and explains why its proponents think it increases happiness. [4]
In western philosophy, minimalism has become a recent trend both in design and lifestyle. In success to the emergence of minimalists and their actions to promote minimalism through TedTalks, YouTube, and podcasts, this lifestyle re-gained popularity in the western economy during the last decade [5].
Religious narratives mostly encourage the adoption of minimalism as the basis of all religions form the non-attachment of worldly belongings and spiritual attribution. In Islam, minimalism is represented a ‘Zuhd’ [6]’which advocates for the abdication of worldly possessions as much as possible.
The prophetic lifestyle is a moderate (wasat) form of minimalism, consuming the essential elements needed for life. The prophetic minimalism is also often concerned with spirituality in order to minimize worldly belongings and possessions.
Let’s now deeply inspect how minimalism reflects in Islamic teachings.
The Concept of Minimalism in Islam
Minimalism in Islam does adhere to the concept of zuhd practiced by our Prophet. He is always the perfect example of zuhd. Zuhd as defined by some scholars, is ‘asceticism’, while others preferred ‘abstinence’ as a more suitable term for it that encompasses meaning of early zuhhad (plural for zāhid) more appropriately.
Through zuhd, one can attain abstinence from material possession and come against the consumerist approach [7]. In fact, as mentioned earlier, one of the major issues in contemporary ecological nature is overconsumption and consumerism.
Islam demotivated excessiveness and waste accumulation. As Allah states in the Quran ‘O Children of Adam! Dress properly whenever you are at worship. Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” (Al-A’raf, verse 31).
Basically, there are several identical factors behind both the conceptions of minimalism and Zuhd in Islamic narrative. Both emphasize on simplicity and detachment and get ridding out of all luxuries and extravagant possessions (Shirazi, 2023). Al-Ghazali considered excessive consumerism to be the cause of moral and spiritual damage in society [8].
So, to resolve the excess consumerist approach rooted in contemporary society, minimalism is considered as the best which aligns to the principles of zuhd in Islam. He advocates to find happiness in simplicity.
The Prophetic Lifestyle: An Exemplar of Minimalism and Simplicity
The Prophet is a perfect example of practicing a moderate form of minimalism and maximalism. He lived a life of simplicity, that can be adopted by any people of religion or non-religious who wants to reduce his desire over worldly possessions.
He did not possess any luxurious goods; and he often distributed his gifts and charities among the fuqara of Medina. The daily routine of the Prophet is characterized by several factors; moderation, fragility, de-clutter of the inessentials, and mindful consumption. The principle of wasatiyyah (moderation) is quite apparent in the Prophetic lifestyle, as well as food habits and consumption of natural resources.
Besides, despite being a person of influence and leadership, the personal belongings of the Prophet was limited to fewer possessions and limited space. His life was simple, humble, caring for others, no luxuries and inessentials and taught to focus on inner satisfaction and spiritual practices. [9]
Apart from being a leader of the society, he ate with lower sections of the society, helped them, and shared his meals with them. Prophet Muhammad taught to focus on happiness and inner satisfaction, not just on material or worldly pleasures. This simplicity is what exactly a leader needed to inspire in a society.
More than a leader, the Prophet acted as an inspirer. He left only his white mule on which he used to ride, and his weapons, and a piece of land which he gave in charity for the needy travelers.
There are some of the key principles of a Prophetic minimalist lifestyle:
Simplicity in Clothing and Lifestyle
Prophet Muhammad is known as a simple figure in his clothing and lifestyle. The Prophet chose a dressing style devoid of pride, arrogance, or extravagance.
His clothing represents comfort and ease of movement, steering clear of wide or lengthy sleeves and clothing that extended past the ankles [10].
Reducing Waste and Excess Usage
Prophet Muhammad taught not to waste anything, including food and water, and not to take more than necessary. In Zadul Ma’d, Ibn-ul-Qayyim describes the Prophetic eating habits, where “he was simple and moderate in eating and drinking habit. The Prophet never said ‘no’ to the meals he got, and never wished for what not available. If he desired it, he ate it, otherwise he left it.” [11]
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ( said: “It is extravagance to eat everything you want” (Sunan Ibn Majah:29, Hadith: 3477).
Prophetic Significance on Environmental Stewardship
Environmental degradation today is driven largely by human activities such as urbanization, industrialization, and deforestation. The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad offer a timeless perspective on sustainability and minimalism.
As the Quran states, humans are stewards of the earth, with a duty to preserve nature. The Prophet even advocated for planting trees during times of crisis, explicitly mentioned during the times of war, illustrating the significance of agriculture and its benefits for future generations.
The Prophet also championed animal protection, which is integral to Islamic values on natural preservation. Stories from his life, such as showing mercy to animals and forbidding unnecessary harm, highlight the importance of compassion and responsibility towards all living beings.
These teachings resonate with contemporary sustainable development goals, which aim to protect both plant and animal life while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
By aligning with these principles, we can address current environmental challenges and work towards a more balanced and ethical interaction with our planet.
Conclusion and Key Findings
The prophetic minimalist approach, intertwined with middle and moderation choice, has become more suitable to sustain a balanced lifestyle. The Prophet’s life that represents simplicity, moderation and minimal use of resources is a perfect paradigm for contemporary minimalist lifestyle and can bridge a path to sustainable future together.
Based on this study, the key findings of this research include:
- Prophetic minimalism is an active minimalism, which in contrast to modern approach to minimalism, brings a moderate choice in order to avoid any excess or luxurious consumption
- Simplicity is subset of minimalism and is key to prophetic life. Simplicity is what sought to be key driver of human happiness. When your lifestyle is simple, it brings wealth and prosperity.
- Prophetic minimalism also makes a way for sustainable living practice. It’s obvious when people adopt minimalism, we can achieve a sustainable future and modest lifestyle in nearest future but, adhering the market sentiments.
- Prophetic minimalism pervades all walks of our life; he chose to be moderate from the consumption of food to the lessons related to our interventions in environmental protection and sustainability.
- The interconnection of minimalism and sustainable future is very close. Both can produce a positive impact socially and psychologically.
In a nutshell, prophetic minimalism suits to the current lifestyle and can work as a solution faced by contemporary society. It prescribes to live in peace, simple and thus weaves a happy and harmonious environment.
