Moderation in Religious Matters
📖Sunan an-Nasa’i 3057
It was narrated that Abu Al-‘Aliyah said: Ibn Abbas said: “On the morning of Al-Aqabah, while he was on his mount, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: ‘Pick up (some pebbles) for me.’ So I picked up some pebbles for him that were the size of date stones or fingertips, and when I placed them in his hand he said: ‘Like these. And beware of going to extremes in religious matters, for those who came before you were destroyed because of going to extremes in religious matters.’”
What We Learn From It Today:
This hadith is a reminder that Islam is a balanced religion. Even in rituals like stoning during Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ taught us moderation – using pebbles the size of fingertips, not large stones or anything harmful, The Prophet ﷺ also gave a powerful warning: “Beware of going to extremes in religion”. This applies today more than ever – whether it’s harshness in fatwas, judging others too quickly, or turning religion into something hard and rigid. Extremism destroys individuals, families, and even nations.
What Does “Extremes in Religion” Mean?
Going to extremes means:
- Adding things that Allah and His Messenger didn’t command.
- Making religion unnecessarily harsh or difficult.
- Focusing on minor issues while ignoring major teachings like mercy, justice, and humility.
- Using religion to justify hatred, violence, or superiority.
Quranic Context:
📖Quran 5:77
O People of the Book, do not go to extremes in your religion beyond the truth, and do not follow the whims of people who went astray before and led many astray, and strayed from the right path.
This verse shows that even previous nations fell into destruction because of religious exaggeration and blind following. Islam came to correct that with balance.
📖Quran 2:143
And thus We have made you a just and balanced nation so that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger may be a witness over you.
Balance is the core identity of the Muslim ummah – we are not meant to be harsh fanatics or careless liberals.