Philosophy of Moderation

Do you know why the Muslims are directed to adopt a moderate path throughout their lives in their all actions and dealings? Even, in the Holy Quran Allah mentioned us (Muslims) as a balanced or middle community.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا

Thus, We have made you a justly balanced community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.

Surat Al-Baqarah 2:143

And we are ordered to follow the middle way between right and left, that is, it is disliked for us to touch the extremes of both the righteousness and sinfulness

Hudhaifa, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

يَا مَعْشَرَ الْقُرَّاءِ اسْتَقِيمُوا فَقَدْ سُبِقْتُمْ سَبْقًا بَعِيدًا فَإِنْ أَخَذْتُمْ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً لَقَدْ ضَلَلْتُمْ ضَلاَلاً بَعِيدًا

O people remain straight upon the path and you will have taken a great lead, but if you swerve right or left then you will be led far astray.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6853, Grade: Sahih

You can note that if we, while in our dealings of daily life chose the right or left way by leaving the middle and straightway which is for us to be successful in this world and hereafter, and then we are at the wrong path.

Now let’s come to the question of why the Muslims are directed to live their lives in a moderate way. Well, as we, being Muslims, know that each word and verse of our Holy Quran has its own philosophical meanings in its death. If we want to know the philosophy of moderation, we will have to do an analysis of human creation process which also shows moderation in its own.

Knowing of creation is necessary for the sense that it’s our daily life experience that each and everything in this world works according to its nature. That’s why Allah says in Holy Quran that Quran is according to human nature and he can fully act upon its all Injunctions without any difficulty.

Let’s come to know about the human creation and the relation of it to the moderation

Levels of Powers:

1)     First level:

As all, we know that two opposite things exit in this universe, that is, God and Satan. God is all in all in His actions and all powers and right things belong to Him only. On the other hand, if you see Satan, God has given him the freedom and all powers till the Day of Judgment. There is nothing between them, just right and wrong and nothing else.

2)     Second level:

Now come to the sub-level, which is the second levels which also have two things opposite to each other i.e., Angles and Animals.

Angles have neither any desire nor they have any freedom to do what they want for themselves. They are in the control of God and they can do nothing without any direction, given by God to them.

But it’s not the case with animals. Neither would they be asked about their lives that they spent it nor they have any restrictions to do what they want to do. They can do whatever they want. It means that they have only desires but not any obligation to do any duty like angles.

3)     Last level or middle level

If you have read the above two levels carefully, you can reach at the point where I want to lead you. We have discussed about all major Powers (God, Angles, Satan, and Animals) but they do not include the central power of this world to whom God made the center of attention of this world and who is the title of Holly Quran, which is human being. Where do you like to place the Man among all these powers? If you consider the composition of human being, you can easily say that he can be placed in the middle of all these powers because, in this world, God appointed him as his Naib (Vice).

He (Man) has all elements of previous all powers. He is the ruler of this world; he is not answerable to anybody except God; he is full with desires like animals and duties like angles. If he chases the good doings, he would be upgraded from the level of humanity to the level where God made the angles to prostate Adam. But if he adopts the shirking behavior from his duties, then he becomes less than that of animals. That’s why, God directs him to be moderate in his doings. He has no choice to go right or left but to the straight and mid-way that is the way of success for him.

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