Is luxury living unlawful for a Muslim?

Throughout their lives, people want to be like those they regard as being of higher quality, and they often accept them as role models.
They look at pictures of movie stars and artists who take great pains over their appearance and try to imitate their tastes, and even their beliefs most of the time, out of admiration for them. Yet the sole belief worthy of being learned and praised is Islam, and Muslims who represent Islam must therefore live as high quality lives as possible. Regarding the opposite — that a low quality life is required by Islam — is an incorrect attitude stemming from failing to appreciate Allah properly and not living by the moral values of the Qur’an.
One of the most striking features of this current era is how the whole world can be in an instantaneous state of communication as a result of technological advances.
A young person sitting alone at his computer can be in simultaneous contact with Brazil, America, Russia, Turkey, Great Britain and China, and they can easily see the way people there live.
This rapid communication is one of the reasons why Muslims across the world must strive for high quality life. Concept of a quality life, in all places and at all times, has a positive effect on everyone and is instrumental in others taking an interest in one’s beliefs.
Having a high quality of life is therefore an important way of preaching Islam.
Allah describes in the Qur’an how Muslims must wear clean clothes, eat good food, live in pleasant environments and, most important of all, possess elevated moral values. All the prophets were people who led the highest quality lives among their peoples, within the conditions of the time and their own means.
The beauty and technological superiority of the palace of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was instrumental in Belkis, Queen of Sheba, coming to have faith. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) wore a Roman robe when welcoming visitors. People immediately recognized our Prophet’s rose-scented fragrance when he was walking in the streets. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) tinged his eyes with kohl and had his beard well-groomed. A superior concept of art and science, compassion and high quality arrived everywhere that Islam reached, not just the Arabian Peninsula.
For example, concept of a high-quality life reigned in all areas of life in the Umayyad state of Andalusia in Spain. Inspired by love of Allah, Andalusian architecture and the Andalusian Muslims’ democratic approach to people of all faiths, cultures and beliefs, are still an example for all of Europe.
The spread of Islamic moral values throughout the world and their acceptance by large numbers of people in the West in particular can only become possible by eliminating the false image that has been established of Islam.
If someone who lives in a Western country, who benefits from all kinds of freedoms and who enjoys art and science, who appreciates beauty and has a certain standard of living, is given the impression that Muslims have to be inward-looking, avoid esthetic pleasures and live a life purged of all blessings, unhappy, devoid of beauty and music, and generally frozen, that person is not going to develop a positive opinion of Islam. If there are no pleasantries that expand the human spirit, if there is no art, no beauty or aesthetics, no happy people having fun, then the world is never going to sign up to Islam.
A quality life does not mean expensive cars, palaces or designer clothing; someone who possesses all these but has no understanding of quality in his or her soul cannot set a good example.
A Muslim capable of beautifying his own life and surroundings with his moral values and presence is someone who lives by Islam in the finest manner, and that sincerity can be instrumental in many people turning to Islam.

- The writer has authored 300 books, translated into 73 languages on politics, religion and science.