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How do we differentiate between generosity, altruism, and extravagance?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Generosity is the opposite of baseness and encompasses all praiseworthy aspects of goodness, honor, benevolence, and spending. Altruism, on the other hand, is preferring others over oneself despite one's own need, and it stems from strong conviction, love, and patience. Extravagance, however, is exceeding the limits in using things, and it is blameworthy, as Allah Almighty says: "And do not be extravagant. Indeed, He does not like those who are extravagant." It becomes clear that altruism and generosity are virtues, while extravagance is a vice.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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