Between Extremism and Negligence in religion

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Imaam al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said:

❝ There is no matter which Allaah تعالى has commanded, except that Shaitaan opposes it (and misleads many people towards) two characteristics regarding it - and it doesn't matter to which one of them he leads - either Ghuloo (extremism, exaggeration, excessiveness) or Taqseer (failure to comply, falling short, negligence, abandonment).❞

 [Kashf al-Khafaa' (1/470), and Majoo` al-Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah (3/381 & 14/483)]

Whichever side one takes – either extremism in religion or abandonment of religious obligations – it is full of dangers. This is why Allaah تعالى made this Ummah as Wasat (Moderate, Justly Balanced) in all the religious matters.

They are moderate in regards to the Prophets of Allaah – between those who went into extremes and exaggeration like the Christians; and between the abandonment of the Jews (who deny the Prophethood of `Issaa Ibn Maryam and Muhammad عليهم الصلاة والسلام). This Ummah is moderate in between these two groups, believing in all the Prophets and Messengers, in the manner that they should be believed in.

They are moderate in regards to Tahaarah (purification) and edibles. They are unlike the Jews who are not allowed to pray except in their temples and synagogues, and many good things had been made prohibited for them as a punishment for them. At the other end, they are unlike the Christians – who behave like nothing defiles them, and that nothing is prohibited for them anymore – they consume everything that crawls or moves. This Ummah, the purification assigned for them is the perfect and most complete, and Allaah has permitted for them all the good things from the food, the drinks and the clothes. And Allaah has prohibited for them all that which is bad.