Abu Hurayrah relates that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“This religion is easy. No one becomes harsh and strict in the religion without it overwhelming him. So fulfill your duties as best you can and rejoice. Rely upon the efforts of the morning and the evening and a little at night and you will reach your goal.” (Al-Bukhari)
These words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) define for us the concept of moderation in Islam in its proper context. When it comes to understanding the principles of Islamic Law, our definitions must be drawn from established sources and not purely from the discretion of the individual. Otherwise, our definition might yield a practical model that justifies nothing but itself.
Many of our accepted and established principles have begun to take forms that represent only one narrow vision, leaving them unable to cope with the many demands of Islamic work and propagation.
Ease is Synonymous with Moderation
The Prophet (peace be upon him) began by saying: “This religion is easy.”
Ease is moderation. Therefore, our religion is moderate, and we—as a nation of people—are moderate. Allah confirms this in the Quran:
{Thus We have made you a moderate nation.} (Al-Baqarah 2: 143)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then goes on to outline the four defining qualities of moderation:
1. Aiming for the Mark (“Fulfill your duties…”)
The Prophet says: “So fulfill your duties…”
The Arabic word used here is “Saddidu,” which literally means to aim to hit something on target, like how an arrow hits its mark. This tells us that moderation never entails going outside of Islamic Law. The rulings of Islamic Law must be derived strictly from the Quran and Sunnah.
The idea of ease and moderation in Islam in no way implies a relaxation of Islamic Law, nor does it imply that a person can follow their own inclinations. If we lose sight of Islamic Law and its rulings, an important quality of moderation will invariably be lost.
2. Acknowledging Human Limits (“…as best you can”)
Then he says: “…as best you can…”
After providing the first quality (adherence to the Law), he complements it with this quality so that those ill-acquainted with the wisdom of Islamic Law do not become insistent upon following a limited, personal vision of perfection.
A person will not be able to fulfill their duties properly unless they realize they have limitations of mind and character. Allah created Adam as a creature with little self-control. The human being cannot do anything perfectly without divine intervention.
This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “…as best you can” (or Qaribu in Arabic), to indicate that absolute perfection is not what is expected. Demanding perfection from people actually runs contrary to the principle of moderation. True moderation requires us to recognize that perfection cannot be maintained or even fully achieved by human effort alone.
3. Maintaining Positivity (“…and rejoice”)
Then he says: “…and rejoice.”
He does this after defining moderation as fulfilling one’s duties to the best of one’s ability. Since working for the religion is a way of obeying Allah and His Messenger, we must see the importance of the glad tidings referred to in this Hadith.
Most of the problems and difficulties that exist between people are the result of partisanship and biases rather than matters necessitated by Islamic Law. This is why sincerity to God and a positive, hopeful outlook must be one of the principles of moderation.
4. Consistency Over Intensity (“…morning and evening”)
Finally, he says: “Rely upon the efforts of the morning and the evening and a little at night and you will reach your goal.”
This shows us that one of the principles of moderation is to consider what is sustainable. This applies to the individual as well as the environment in which they work. It means everyone should work within their own capacity and avoid being obstinate when dealing with others.
The principle of doing what is within one’s capabilities has both conceptual and practical dimensions. It means that we keep up our Islamic work while recognizing both the need for what we are doing and the limitations of our abilities.
Correcting Misconceptions in Islamic Work
This Hadith gives us a good opportunity to embrace a large number of Islamic efforts of various types. We must never distance ourselves from others unless they truly go against the established and indisputable principles of Islam.
One of our current problems is that many people’s understanding of moderation does not comprise all four of these defining qualities:
- The Negligent: Some overlook the need to adhere to Islamic Law (Saddidu) in formulating their concept of moderation, coming up with ideas that are ambiguous and ill-defined.
- The Extremist: Others go overboard in demanding perfection, though God demands from us only what is within our abilities.
Conclusion: Distinguishing Principle from Interpretation
Today, many Muslims shun those who do not measure up to their specific opinions. It is regretful that they shun each other on the pretense of defending established principles—like the principle of moderation or adhering to the ways of the pious predecessors.
When they do this, they fail to make a distinction between the principles themselves and their own understanding of them. Therefore, they accuse each other of violating Islam without realizing that their disagreement is rooted in interpretation, not the text itself.
The fact that many Islamic workers fail to understand the concept of moderation correctly is the reason why there is an inexcusable amount of confusion in the field of Islamic work today. We must praise Allah that, in spite of this problem, there is still a lot of good being carried out, and a lot of true moderation remains.
By Salman al-`Awdah
