Extravagance in Building - Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 449

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Final Hour will not come until people compete with one another in the height of their buildings."

Commentary on the Hadith

This prophetic tradition serves as a profound warning against excessive worldly attachment and ostentation in construction. The competition in building height signifies a spiritual decline where material pursuits overshadow religious obligations and humility.

Scholars explain that such architectural competition reflects several spiritual maladies: pride and arrogance, wastefulness of resources that could benefit the needy, and distraction from the remembrance of Allah and preparation for the Hereafter.

The hadith does not prohibit building comfortable dwellings, but cautions against extravagance, rivalry in worldly matters, and the transformation of buildings from means of shelter into symbols of vanity and status.

This prophecy has manifested in our times through skyscraper rivalries and excessive architectural expenditures while many Muslims lack basic necessities. The wise Muslim balances worldly needs with spiritual priorities, remembering that all structures will eventually crumble while deeds alone remain.