Moderation is an Islamic doctrine and a realistic demand

 

 

In these critical conditions which the modern world in general and the Muslim world in particular are experiencing today, the nation needs to activate the principle of moderation in the sectors of its intellectual, social, economic, and political life, not only in the intellectual side.

 

Moderation is an intellectual approach and at the same time realistic that can be applied and activated in the different sectors of life.

 

It is known that Islam is a moderate religion in its faith, acts of worship, dealings, and in its perceptions about universe and life because it is the religion of civilization that came to benefit the entire humanity and push it forward in the Straight Path.

 

We do not want to speak lengthy about the moderation of Islam. How many proofs and evidence are! However, we want to study this Ayah: "Thus, we have made you [true Muslims - real believers of Islâmic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his Sunnah (legal ways)], a moderate (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) be a witness over you." [Surat Al Baqarah: 143].

 

Sayyidd Qutb said: "It is truly a moderate nation with all senses of the word, whether moderation means goodness and virtue or moderation, or moderation in the physical sense. (A moderate nation) in perception and faith which does not lean to asceticism in the world or physical indulgence in pleasures, but it follows the natural disposition by mixing between soul and body.

 

This dual entity is given its full right of energies and works to promote the soul, and at the same time it protects life.

 

(A moderate nation) in thinking and feeling. It does not freeze for the knowledge it has, it does not close the doors of experiment and knowledge, it does not follow each claim, but it holds fast with its perceptions, methods, and fundamentals, then looks at its intellectual and experimental output.

 

Its permanent motto is: Truth is the lost treasure of a believer whenever he finds it, he is the most entitled to take.

 

(A moderate nation) in organization and coordination. It does not leave life for emotions and intentions and does not leave it to codes and disciplines, but it raises the consciences of human beings by guidance and discipline, and ensures the social system by legislation and discipline.

 

(A moderate nation) in the links and relationships. It does not cancel the individual's personality and his constituents. It does not cancel his personality in favor of the group or the State, nor does it leave him seeking his absolute personal benefits, but it gives him motives to achieve his personality and entity then puts the restraints for him so as to stop his excess and puts also incentives for him to incite his desires in the service of the group.

 

It decides the burdens and duties which make an individual serves the group and the group serves an individual in harmony.

 

(A moderate nation) in place, in the center of the earth.

 

This nation is still the nation that is located in the middle between the east and the west, the north and the south. It uses its location to give all it possesses to the entire earth and through which it conveys the fruits of nature and the output of souls and thoughts from here to there and vice-versa. Moreover, it controls this movement whether material or abstract.

 

(A moderate nation) in time. It ends the childhood of mankind, guards the era of mental maturity, and stands in the middle to protect mankind against whims and myths.

 

Furthermore, it prevents mankind from falling into seditions and temptations, and synchronizes between its spiritual heritage starting from the time of messages and its growing intellectual culture, and walks in the middle of the way.[1]

 

Moderation is a divine method that Allah (Glory be to Him) placed in this nation in order to abide by and to follow to become a role example to the world around it.

 

Furthermore, moderation is a realistic demand and preventive method to protect the nation against the danger of extremists as it protects it against deviant people.

 

The nation witnesses two dangerous matters. If extremism is a plague which the nation fights, behavioral divergence and negligence in the fundamentals and beliefs are severer because extremism did not show up but as a movement for anti-slip and negligence, which the nation lived for a period of time. The nation is in dire need to adopt a moderate project in all sectors of life: It needs a medial project in its political work through which it deals with others without compromising or concession of rights, and without retreating, and interacting with the changes of modern society and benefiting from the modern human experiences.

 

In addition, it needs a moderate project in its economic work, and do not overlook the need to have an independent identity and vision emanating from the principles and laws of its religion; where it works on adopting an Islamic economic project to present to the world so that the world would benefit from the visions of Islam in this field.

 

This project should emanate from the principles and legislations of Islam, and do not overlook the modern economic experiments.

 

It also needs a moderate project in social fields to adopt its beliefs, traditions, principles, and values, but in the meantime respects the beliefs of others and does not confiscate an opinion or a thought which differs with it.

 

However, the standard of dealing should be based on the principle: "And argue with them in a way that is better." [Surat An-Nahl: 125]. Furthermore, it is in a dire need to the medium of thought without extremism which may be in harmony or contradicted with the perception and objectives of Islam, but it takes what is useful and leaves aside what is harms.

 

In the meantime, it does not leave itself dependent on others' ideas and perceptions, considering it the example to follow.

 

The most important thing is the activation of this moderate approach in the different sectors of life, so it is not enough to remain locked in the minds of thinkers and reformers of this nation, but should be adopted by the dominant and acting sectors, which make decisions.

 

Thus, the principle of moderation should be active in all sectors of life if the nation wants to get out of this trouble and to exceed these painful circumstances in which it lives.