Excessive Strictness in Religion and Its Impact on Moderation
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Question:
We see that some of the brothers, meaning they have contacted us and lived with us, are extremely zealous for the religion. We do not know if their extreme zeal for the religion leads them to err regarding the actions that are happening now?
Answer:
Yes, excessive strictness in religion leads to evil, to declaring Muslims disbelievers, it leads to fighting Muslims, it leads to bombing as a result of excessive strictness in religion. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:[An-Nisa 4:171].
And He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says to Muhammad, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): "So remain firm"[Hud 11:111] "as you have been commanded" [Hud 11:112]. Transgression is excess. Do not transgress; rather, one should be moderate. Firmness is moderation between excess and deficiency.
So religion is not about clinging tightly, religion is about moderation, uprightness, patience, forbearance, deliberation, and good character. It is not religion through violence, harshness, severity, and roughness. This is part of extremism, and extremism, when it comes, corrupts things. Extremism in everything corrupts it. Everything that exceeds its limit turns into its opposite. Everything that exceeds its limit turns into its opposite. When you eat too much, do you not suffer from indigestion and illness? Eat with moderation, drink with moderation. Religion is the first thing you should take with moderation, because if you increase in religion, extremism increases over you and you go out of the religion. The religion is not what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did when it was reported to him about some people that one of them said, "I fast and do not break my fast," and the second said, "I pray and do not sleep," and the third said, "I do not marry women." He said (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1401. Religion is moderation, it is not religion through strictness and extremism.
Extremism takes you out of the religion. Extremism leads you to kill the innocent, to shed blood, and to declare Muslims disbelievers. There is no good in extremism. Therefore, Allah warned the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) against it. He said: "Beware of extremism, for it is only extremism that destroyed those who came before you." Yes.
We see that some of the brothers, meaning they have contacted us and lived with us, are extremely zealous for the religion. We do not know if their extreme zeal for the religion leads them to err regarding the actions that are happening now?
Answer:
Yes, excessive strictness in religion leads to evil, to declaring Muslims disbelievers, it leads to fighting Muslims, it leads to bombing as a result of excessive strictness in religion. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth.
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّAnd He, Exalted and Majestic is He, says to Muhammad, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): "So remain firm"
with what they do.
بِمَاSo 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 تَطْغَوْاSo religion is not about clinging tightly, religion is about moderation, uprightness, patience, forbearance, deliberation, and good character. It is not religion through violence, harshness, severity, and roughness. This is part of extremism, and extremism, when it comes, corrupts things. Extremism in everything corrupts it. Everything that exceeds its limit turns into its opposite. Everything that exceeds its limit turns into its opposite. When you eat too much, do you not suffer from indigestion and illness? Eat with moderation, drink with moderation. Religion is the first thing you should take with moderation, because if you increase in religion, extremism increases over you and you go out of the religion. The religion is not what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did when it was reported to him about some people that one of them said, "I fast and do not break my fast," and the second said, "I pray and do not sleep," and the third said, "I do not marry women." He said (peace and blessings be upon him):
whereas I observe prayer and sleep too; I observe fast and suspend observing them; I marry women also? And he who turns away from my Sunnah, he has no relation with Me
اما انا فأُصَلِّي وَأَنَامُ وَأَصُومُ وَأُفْطِرُ وَأَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مِنِّيExtremism takes you out of the religion. Extremism leads you to kill the innocent, to shed blood, and to declare Muslims disbelievers. There is no good in extremism. Therefore, Allah warned the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) against it. He said: "Beware of extremism, for it is only extremism that destroyed those who came before you." Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-21-المخرج من الفتن|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (30:43)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.