Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Defining the limit of personal necessity

“What is the limit of need? One person says his need is a house and a car. Another says house, car, and motorcycle. A third adds two more things. Please explain.”Asked by Miss Saira Latif, Karachi, Pakistan

He answers at 1:21:03 in God and Man I · 2 min 59 sec

His answer, in his own words
1:21:03
maulana agla sawal miss saira latif ka hai karachi pakistan se. unhon ne likha hai zaroorat ki had kya hai? ek shakhs kehta hai ke meri zaroorat makan aur gari hai. doosra shakhs kehta hai ke meri zaroorat makan, gari aur motor cycle hai. teesra shakhs is mein do cheezon ka aur izafa karta hai. is ko is ke bare mein bataein. dekhiye zaroorat ko koi ginti mein aap had bandi nahi kar sakte ke list banayein aap.
1:21:41
aisa nahi ho sakta. koi list nahi ban sakti aap. ke mez, kursi, qalam, pencil aap char list banayein. aisa nahi ho sakta. aadmi ka khud apna kaam hai ke wo jaane ke zaroorat kya hai. zaroorat ke angrezi mein hota hai need. need yaani ye yaani bare need jis ke baghair zindagi mumkin na ho. to ek hadith mein is tarah aaya hai is silsile mein ke jis aadmi ke paas
1:22:27
ek ghar ho, bas rehne ke qabil ghar aur roti ka ek tukra aur pani ho, ek khadim ho to goya ke us ko sab cheez mil gayi. goya ke sab kuch mil gaya. to ye ek ek is se andaza kar sakte hain ke zaroorat ka matlab kya hai. phir bhi koi list nahi bana sakte aap. is aadmi ko jitna zyada ehsas hoga is baat ka ke dunya jo hai aish karne ki nahi hai, ye dunya is liye hai ke haan hum aisa amal karein jo akhirat mein kaam aaye. to wo har us cheez se bachega jo akhirat ki tayyari mein record bane.
1:23:17
basic baat ye hai ke akhirat ke hisab se jo mufeed aaye wo zaroorat hai. akhirat ke aitbar se is ki jis ki ahmiyat na ho wo fazil hai. to ye criterion ye banega. criterion koi face nahi hai. phir list nahi koi. criterion ye hai ke wo kaam jo safar akhirat mein mere liye zaroori ho, akhirat ki kamyabi ke liye zaroori ho to wo to hai need. jo zaroori na ho to wo luxury hai, wo aish hai, wo fazool cheezon mein apna paisa kharch karna hai.
1:23:54
to is ka sahi taayun aadmi khud kar sakta hai. koi doosra aadmi bahar se nahi kar sakta. maulana agle sawal se pehle ek comment parhna chahenge jo maulana abdul basit umri ne bheja hai dua qatar se. unhon ne likha hai maulana aaj ki taqreer sunte hue ye ehsas hua ke har insan ke jo basic sawalat hote hain khuda aur insan se mutalliq, koi bhi is basic sawalat ke jawab na de saka.
All questions he answeredThe whole lecture, from this momentWatch on YouTube

Machine transcription. These are his recorded words, written down by software from the Urdu he speaks — so a line may carry a misheard word. Every timestamp above opens the video at that second: one tap and you can hear him say it. Quote it as speech, and link to the moment.