Part 2
By Khyber Jalal
It is incumbent upon every Muslim to adopt the path of moderation and balance in all religious, social, and personal affairs. This is not a secondary virtue but a foundational principle demanded by the noble religion of Islam from every believer. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) exemplified moderation in worship, daily conduct, social interaction, and every dimension of life. He guided his Ummah toward the middle path, commanding balance and restraint while warning against excess and extremism, particularly in matters of religion. Religious extremism, he made clear, does not lead to piety or righteousness; rather, it ultimately results in ruin and destruction.
The sacred religion of Islam is not a religion of excess or fanaticism. On the contrary, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) explicitly and unequivocally rejected all forms of extremism. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly cautions against exaggeration and excess, and Allah Almighty specifically admonished the Jews and all other nations for religious extremism, declaring:
«لا تغلوا فی دینکم»
“Do not exceed limits in your religion…”
For this reason, extremism when promoted or tolerated by rulers or scholars extinguishes love for religion in the hearts of people. History and contemporary reality alike bear witness to this truth. Today, certain extremist groups, such as ISIS, have become a primary cause of Islam’s defamation. Through their excesses, brutality, and violence, they have projected a distorted image of the religion, pushing countless people away from Islam rather than drawing them toward it.
At the same time, the opposite extreme is equally destructive. Negligence, complacency, and undue leniency on the part of some rulers and scholars have also led people astray, entangling them in superstitions, religious innovations, and false paths. This danger is especially acute for the younger generation and for children, many of whom already suffer from intellectual confusion due to the overwhelming influence of modern technology and social media. Even a small degree of neglect or imbalance can redirect them away from the path of guidance and success, leading them instead toward deviation and moral and spiritual ruin.
True moderation in religion means avoiding both excess and negligence. Excess results in transgressing the limits set by Allah, while negligence produces weakness, carelessness, and deficiency in implementing divine commands.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
«إِیَّاکُمْ وَالْغُلُوَّ فِی الدِّینِ، فَإِنَّمَا أَهْلَکَ مَنْ کَانَ قَبْلَکُمْ الْغُلُوُّ فِی الدِّینِ»
“Beware of exaggeration in religion, for those who came before you were ruined by exaggeration in religion.”
In essence, Islam is a religion of ease, balance, and moderation. It has never imposed obligations beyond human capacity, nor has it demanded practices that lead to hardship for their own sake. As the Holy Qur’an states:
«يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ» [البقره: 185]
“Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 185)
Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Thabit al-Kufi, Imam Abu Yusuf Ya’qub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari, Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, may Allah be pleased with them all, and countless other scholars firmly upheld this principle. They maintained that Islam stands as a balanced religion between excess and negligence, between exaggeration and deficiency, between anthropomorphism and denial, between compulsion and absolute free will, and between hope and fear.
In conclusion, when examined in the light of Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, and the statements of authoritative scholars, it becomes clear that Islam is a sacred religion of moderation and balance. It is neither an extremism that terrifies people and drives them into despair, nor a negligence that leaves them complacent, clinging to empty hopes without action.
