Abdul Hadi
Islam is a broad and all-encompassing religion. Muslims’ views and thinking should be shaped according to what Islam requires. If we study Islam properly, it becomes clear that there’s neither excess nor negligence in it. Islam is a religion of the middle path, a religion of moderation.
Islam expects this from its followers too. Every Muslim should be flexible, open-minded and broad in outlook. Muslims should look at everything through the lens of Islam and stay away from personal temperament, self-centeredness and selfishness. Every Muslim, especially anyone who holds authority over Muslims, should move beyond rigid thinking and develop a broad outlook.
If people call themselves Muslims and claim to follow Islam but don’t look at matters within Islam’s bounds, instead leaning toward excess or negligence, then either they’re sunk in the pit of ignorance and don’t understand Islam’s fundamental spirit, or they’ve been used by deceivers, or they’re driven by self-centeredness, egotism and their own temperament. This too is a kind of ignorance.
Islam is the spirit of the Muslim Ummah and rests on moderation. It isn’t limited to one era, nor is it specific to one ethnic group, nation or homeland. Islam’s message extends from the time of the Prophet (PBUH) until the Day of Judgment, and its call will remain until then. Since Islam’s reach is broad, anyone can follow it. Allah (SWT) has given Islam the characteristic of moderation so that people can live well under its shade.
If we look back through history at the deviant and misguided groups that have appeared since the beginning of Islam, we find that they’ve never held power over a vast territory for long. Whenever power has come into their hands, they’ve lost it again within a short time. This is because they’ve been deprived of Islam’s fundamental aim, which is the middle path, the mean and moderation.
Now consider the modern-day Khawarij, Daesh. They brand Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah with kufr, promote distorted beliefs and distort Islamic rulings. This clearly shows that they’re puppets of other intelligence agencies, being used to serve those agencies’ interests by crushing Muslims and blocking the progress of the Islamic system.
Alternatively, they may simply be ignorant of Islam’s foundations. Ignorance has overcome them to such an extent that they issue fatwas of kufr against Muslims, and their extremism has reached limitless levels. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا بَعَثَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي بَعْضِ أَمْرِهِ قَالَ: ” بَشِّرُوا وَلَا تُنَفِّرُوا، وَيَسِّرُوا وَلَا تُعَسِّرُوا “. (رواه مسلم)
“It was narrated that Abu Musa said: When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent one of his Companions to look after some of his affairs, he would say: ‘Give glad tidings and do not drive people away; make things easy and do not make them difficult.'” (Sahih Muslim)
In short, Muslims must understand Islam properly and convey it to others in the right way. They must stay away from narrow-mindedness, excess, negligence and egotism. Muslims should also be broad-minded and keep away from takfiri beliefs. Just as Islam is a religion of moderation, its followers must also follow the middle path and be moderate.
