Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah writes: You should know that in these ahadith, the Muslim is being encouraged not to pay excessive attention to buildings beyond necessity. There is no doubt that if one considers the small or large number of a person's family members and the frequency or infrequency of guests, then no fixed limit can be set regarding buildings. This is why the following blessed hadith is not considered contradictory to the aforementioned ahadith: ((A mattress for the man, a mattress for his wife, the third for the guest, and the fourth is for the Shaytan.)) … One bedding for the man, one bedding for his wife, one for the guest, and the fourth is for Shaytan. This is a hadith from Sahih Muslim and others; I have referenced it in Sahih Abu Dawud. For this reason, Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah said: All these narrations will be applied to those buildings whose construction is not necessary, i.e., those that are not built for residence or for protection from heat and cold. Then Hafiz (Ibn Hajar) mentioned the statements of some people from which it appears that every kind of building is a sin, and then, while refuting them, he said: The matter of buildings is not like this; rather, there is detail in it. Not every building beyond necessity can be declared sinful … rather, in some buildings there is reward, and that is when others benefit from them; in such a case, the owner will be deserving of reward. And Allah knows best. (Sahihah: 2831)

In the present era, extravagant palaces and mansions and their accessories are being spent on heavily, whereas the basic purpose of building a house is to protect oneself from the hardships of various seasons, and this purpose can be achieved by spending five or six hundred thousand rupees on a ten or eleven marla plot, as well as by spending tens of millions of rupees—this is a matter of 1435 AH (2014 CE).

The people of ‘Ad built strong and magnificent residential buildings; Allah Ta‘ala rebuked them, saying: {وَتَتَّخِذُوْنَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تَخْلُدُوْنَ} … and you construct strong structures (lofty palaces), as if you will live forever. (Surah al-Shu‘ara: 129)