1. What is wasatiyyah (وسطية)?
Taking the middle position between two extremes = wasatiyyah.
- Islam loves this middle way in all matters and commands us to follow it.
(2:143) – meaning: "And thus We have made you (O believers) a balanced, middle community, so that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger a witness over you."
- The Muslim community = "ummatan wasatan" (أمة وسطا) – a balanced (middle) community.
- So all matters of social and individual life should follow a balanced way.
What goes against wasatiyyah
- Being extreme only in worldly matters.
- Being extreme only in spiritual matters.
2. Moderation in worship
(1) The incident of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (RA) (Bukhari)
- The Prophet ﷺ: "I have heard that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night." – "Yes."
- The Prophet ﷺ (meaning): "Do not do that. Fast, and also leave fasting. Pray (at night), and also sleep. Your body has a right over you, your wife has a right over you, and your visitors have a right over you."
- Hearing this, Ibn 'Amr (RA) eased the harshness with which he had approached his spiritual practice.
(2) The incident of the three Companions (Bukhari)
Some Companions, after learning about the Prophet's ﷺ way of life, decided that their own worship was not enough:
| Companion | Decision |
|---|---|
| The first | "I will pray all night (without sleeping)" |
| The second | "I will fast all year (without a break)" |
| The third | "I will never marry" |
The Prophet's ﷺ reply (meaning):
"By Allah, I fear Allah and am more devoted to Him than you. Yet I fast and I also break my fast; I pray (at night) and I also sleep; and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me."
(3) The incident of Mu'adh ibn Jabal (RA) (Muslim)
- When Mu'adh (RA) led the prayer as imam, out of devotion he recited a long surah.
- A man praying behind him lost patience and complained to the Prophet ﷺ.
- The Prophet ﷺ said sternly, three times: "Mu'adh! Are you putting people to trial?"
- His advice (meaning): "Make things easy for people; do not make them hard. Encourage them; do not drive them away."
3. A warning against going to extremes in religion
Ibn 'Abbas (RA) – the stones for the jamarat
- During hajj, while staying at Muzdalifah, the Prophet ﷺ sent Ibn 'Abbas (RA) to collect pebbles for throwing at the jamarat.
- While people were keen to use big stones, thinking that was better, Ibn 'Abbas (RA) brought back small pebbles.
- The Prophet ﷺ approved them and said (meaning): "Beware of going to extremes in religion" (Ahmad).
"Ruined are those who go to extremes"
- The Prophet ﷺ said this three times as a warning (Muslim).
- Imam an-Nawawi (RH): these are people who go beyond the limits and act with excessive strictness.
- Those who abandon moderation will lose in this world and in the Hereafter.
Heavy burdens (Musnad Ahmad)
(meaning) "Do not place heavy burdens on yourselves, or you will be destroyed. People before you placed heavy burdens on themselves and were destroyed. Their remains can be seen in monasteries and hermitages."
4. Body and soul – balance
- Allah, who gave us a body, also gave us a soul.
- Building up the body while neglecting the soul, or building up the soul while neglecting the body, is not Islam.
- Just as we fulfil our duties to Allah, we must fulfil our duties to His servants – to fellow Muslims and to non-Muslims.
5. Moderation in daily life
| Area | Evidence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Spending | 17:29 | Do not tie your hand to your neck (do not be a miser), nor stretch it out completely (do not be a spendthrift) – or you will end up blamed and full of regret |
| Food and drink | 7:31 | Eat and drink, but do not waste by excess |
| Walking and speech | 31:19 | Be moderate in your walk; lower your voice; the loud braying of the donkey is the most hated of voices |
31:19 – condemns walking too slowly or too fast.
6. Balance between this world and the Hereafter
(2:200–201) – meaning:
- Among people are some who say, "Our Lord! Give us (everything) in this world" – they will have no share in the Hereafter.
- And among them are some who say, "Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Asking only for the good of this world is condemned; asking for the good of both this world and the Hereafter is praised.
Quick revision
- Wasatiyyah = the middle way between two extremes; ummatan wasatan (2:143).
- 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (RA) – "Your body, your wife and your visitors have rights over you" (Bukhari).
- The three Companions – "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me" (Bukhari).
- Mu'adh (RA) – "Are you putting people to trial?" ×3; make things easy (Muslim).
- Ibn 'Abbas – small pebbles; warning against extremes in religion (Ahmad).
- Ruined are those who go to extremes ×3 (Muslim) – explained by Imam an-Nawawi.
- Spending 17:29; food 7:31; walking and speech 31:19; this world and the Hereafter 2:200–201.