Advice to the Youth on Upholding Straightness and Moderation
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This is Abd al-Rahman al-Dahim from Harimna. He says in this question: Honorable Shaykh, some of the youth are enthusiastic and go beyond what is necessary, tending toward strictness and extremism. What is the Shaykh’s advice to them regarding upholding straightness and moderation? May you be rewarded.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, this Ummah, praise be to Allah, is the middle Ummah, between the extremism of the Christians and the laxity of the Jews. It is a moderate, balanced Ummah. Moderation means balance between two opposites. This Ummah is moderate; it has no extremism or strictness, and no laxity or negligence. Rather, it is upright in the command of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Allah has forbidden extremism. He, the Exalted, said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:77]. He said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): [Hud 11:112] And He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Fussilat 41:6]. Since man is prone to deficiency and error in uprightness, that is compensated for by seeking forgiveness. [Fussilat 41:6]. He, the Exalted, said: [Hud 11:112], forbidding him from transgression, excess, and strictness.
One should be between strictness and negligence, with no excess and no negligence. This is the religion of Islam, and it is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was upon, and he commanded it and encouraged it, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade strictness and extremism in his right.Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq 14:62.
So say, "Servant of Allah and His Messenger." "Servant of Allah" prevents extremism, and "His Messenger" prevents negligence regarding the right of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and any diminishment of the right of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the religion of Islam, the religion of moderation.
He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said:[Al-Hajj 22:78] [Al-Baqarah 2:185]. This is the religion of Islam, praise be to Allah. Islam is guidance between two misguidances: the misguidance of extremism and strictness, and the misguidance of laxity, negligence, and loss. Yes.
This is Abd al-Rahman al-Dahim from Harimna. He says in this question: Honorable Shaykh, some of the youth are enthusiastic and go beyond what is necessary, tending toward strictness and extremism. What is the Shaykh’s advice to them regarding upholding straightness and moderation? May you be rewarded.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, this Ummah, praise be to Allah, is the middle Ummah, between the extremism of the Christians and the laxity of the Jews. It is a moderate, balanced Ummah. Moderation means balance between two opposites. This Ummah is moderate; it has no extremism or strictness, and no laxity or negligence. Rather, it is upright in the command of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Allah has forbidden extremism. He, the Exalted, said:
O People of the Scripture, do not exceed limits in your religion beyond the truth
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّSo remain on a right course as you have been commanded
فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَso take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness
فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُso take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness
فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُSo remain on a right course as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress
فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْاOne should be between strictness and negligence, with no excess and no negligence. This is the religion of Islam, and it is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was upon, and he commanded it and encouraged it, where he (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade strictness and extremism in his right.
(peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not exalt me as the Christians exalted the son of Mary. I am only a servant."
صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى ابن مريم إنما أنا عبدSo say, "Servant of Allah and His Messenger." "Servant of Allah" prevents extremism, and "His Messenger" prevents negligence regarding the right of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and any diminishment of the right of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the religion of Islam, the religion of moderation.
He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said:
and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍAllah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/015 — archive.org (0:52)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.