Islam is a Moderate Religion- Moulana Ifdhal

Islam is a Moderate Religion

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

As for what follows, Allah Almighty said in the Holy Quran — I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:

"Today I have completed for you your religion, and I have perfected for you My favor, and I have made Islam a religion for you."

And Allah Almighty said in another place:

"And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and when they pass by, they pass by in a dignified way." Allah Almighty has spoken the truth, and His Messenger, the Noble Prophet, has spoken the truth. And we are among those who bear witness and are grateful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

A Religion Complete in Every Aspect

Respect to the brothers and elders in Islam. Allah Almighty has granted us a religion which covers every aspect of life. Islam does not only teach us how to worship the God, the Deity, but it also teaches us how to live in this world.

There is no aspect in our life but that we find guidance of it either in the Quran or in the Sunnah. There is no aspect of life but that we find some guidance of it from the Quran or from Sunnah, and this is but the speciality — and only the speciality — of Islam. That it addresses every single aspect. It addresses every single phase of life.

To give an example, Islam gives guidance from the inception of life till the end of life. A child that comes to the world, and he is just born — Islam gives guidance and it offers etiquettes. That when this child is born, do tahniq, do aqiqah. As a matter of fact, Islam gives guidance even before this child comes to the world. And it teaches us, and especially the mothers and the women, that while this child is in your womb, make sure that you consume halal. Make sure that you stay in the state, in the condition of wudu. Increase your ibadah, so that the effects of these virtues would also enter this child and this fetus.

It addresses issues of a person who is laying flat on his deathbed. And it encourages us that sit next to him and recite to him the kalimah, and encourage him to recite the kalimah. Nay, it teaches us etiquettes post death — that even after the person passes away, what are the etiquettes that should be carried out? How should we give him a ghusl? How should we pray his janazah? What clothes should we cover him in?

So we have a religion that is wholesome in its nature, complete in its package, perfect in its fashion. A religion that doesn't need anything else. A religion that cannot be further perfected. A creed that cannot be further elevated. It addresses every aspect of life.

Salman and the Question of the Jewish Man

Salman رضي الله عنه, the Sahabi of Rasul, was asked by a Jewish man: "I heard that your Nabi teaches you how to use the bathroom." He said this in a mocking tone, scoffing at Salman — "You are saying that your Nabi teaches you how to use the washroom while you are still kids."

Now Salman رضي الله عنه was not embarrassed by the question. He was not afraid nor was he intimidated. And that is something we need to know. There will be some questions thrown to us by the non-Muslims about our religion. Do we have adequate knowledge to answer them? Or at times, when we don't have the knowledge, we ourselves fall in doubt. A youngster would come up to the alim, for example, and he would say, "But it doesn't make sense." Where was this triggered? It was triggered by that non-Muslim who asked him this question, because he doesn't have enough knowledge. So now the poor Muslim himself is confused.

Salman رضي الله عنه was not embarrassed. Something that is in Islam — there is no need to be embarrassed about it. If it's in our religion, then it's in there. There is no need for us to shy away from it, nor to conceal it. Salman رضي الله عنه very proudly said: "Yes, he does teach us how to use the bathroom — but for your information, he even teaches us how to enter it and how to exit it." He is proud of Islam. He is proud of his religion. He is not shying away. He is not embarrassed that Rasul taught us the etiquette of using the bathroom. He said also: "For your information, it teaches us how to enter it and how to exit it."

So we need not to be shy of our religion. It addresses the minutest of details — even to this example that I cited now: how do you enter the washroom? How do you do istinja?

The Perfection of Islam

Allah says in the Quran:

"I have completed your religion and I have perfected My blessing upon you and I am pleased for you Islam as a religion." So Islam is that religion that has been perfected by Allah. There is no room for anything more. There is no room, there is no space to now add something. There is no need for that. There is no room for that. Islam does not embrace that, nor does it have the need for that. It's complete. It's perfect.

Anything you add to that, it will just destroy the beauty. You know when you cook something, there is a certain time till which you will cook it — if you cook it any longer, then it will get burnt. Islam has reached the peak. Islam has reached the peak of perfection and completion. It doesn't need anything else, any foreign ideologies from different religions. It's not in need of that.

It teaches us, it addresses us, that there are times when you spend with your Creator and there are times when you spend with the creation. There are times in which you stay hungry and there are times in which you eat. There are times in which you pray and there are times in which you should rest and relax. To that extent, Islam covers.

The Balance of Worship and Rest

A Sahabi's wife comes to the Prophet of Allah and she complains about her husband. She says: "Ya Rasulullah, my husband is a man who prays by night and he fasts by day." Rasulullah called him and he said: "O my Sahabi, Allah has rights upon you. Your body has a right upon you. Your family has a right upon you. So at times pray and at times go to sleep. At times fast and at times eat." Balance. Balance in Islam.

The Moderate Ummah

Allah says:

"We have made you a moderate Ummah." A moderate Ummah that doesn't have conservatism in the extreme and also doesn't have absolute freedom. It doesn't have total freedom. In between — a religion that is in between other religions. In between Christianity and Judaism. A moderate religion.

Whereas in the other religions in the past — for example in Yahudiyyah (Judaism), if someone's cloth had to become impure, say for example this sleeve becomes impure — in our religion, what is the way to purify it? It is that I wash it. But in Yahudiyyah, in the Shariah of Musa عليه السلام, they had to cut this piece off to purify it. In other religions — for example in Nasraniyyah, in Christianity — if you are married to a woman, then you had to live with her for the rest of your life and there was no such thing as divorce.

Islam has struck the perfect balance. When your clothes become impure, you can simply wash it and it's fine. You are married — then you have the right to divorce when there is a need. So we have to avoid the extremes that exist in other religions.

That which exists today out there in the media and in society — that Islam is an extreme religion. The Quran says: You are the moderate one. If there was an extreme religion, then it was those religions that passed before us.

So we need to implant these two verses in our minds. That Allah has perfected our religion, and secondly, Allah has made us a moderate religion. After which, we can understand and we can appreciate why our religion is as it is. Why, for example, Halloween and all these other festivals and all these celebrations that come up — why Islam doesn't entertain them? Why Islam doesn't accept them? We made you a moderate Ummah. We are not people who celebrate nearly every month.

If we understand and implant these two verses in our minds, then we will appreciate why our religion is like this, and why it would perhaps not accept foreign ideologies. We are not a religion that celebrates nearly every month. This month you have Halloween, next month you have Thanksgiving, after that you have Christmas, thereafter you have New Year's — it just goes on and on. Then you have Independence Day, then you have Easter, and it just goes on.

We are musafireen in this world. We are travelers in this world. Be patient for some time — and Jannah is waiting for you. Be patient for some time. Allah has put restrictions on the Muslims — yes, that is there. There are some additional restrictions. Yes, you will have to perhaps abstain from some things. But remember, Jannah is waiting for you. Have some sabr in this world. Have some patience in this world. Do not join them. Do not celebrate them. And Allah will make you celebrate in Jannah. In Jannah there is celebration every day and there are no restrictions there.

Balance in Grief and Happiness

We have to strike the balance when it comes to happiness and when it comes to grief. Because celebration is a time of happiness, a time to rejoice. And also balance at times of depression, at times of worry, at times of anxiety.

To give you an example of what balance Islam has put before us, that which is not existent in the other religions — once Rasul's son Ibrahim passes away. He has seven children: six from Khadijah and one from Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah رضي الله عنها. And he passes away in his infancy.

So he goes and he holds the child. I am giving you an example of balance, because Islam is moderate. The perfect balance and the perfect moderation exists in Islam. We are not a religion that parties at every eve, every week. Islam is striking that balance which no other religion has.

Rasulullah holds his child, holds his son Ibrahim, who is barely two years old. And he cries. And he says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1303)

"The eyes will tear and the heart may grieve, but our tongues will not utter anything that will displease Allah." The perfect balance — Islam didn't say you can't cry. Cry and express your emotions. But how dare you utter anything against the decree of Allah.

His daughter sends him a message that oh Rasul, her son — his grandson — is passing away. He goes and he visits this child who is breathing his last. And he cries. And the Sahabi says: "O Rasulullah, what is this tearing about?" So he says: "O my Sahabi, this is mercy which Allah has kept in the hearts of people."

He said in the hadith:

It is impermissible for a woman to mourn on the death of any individual more than three days. It is impermissible. But on the death of her husband, she can and she will mourn for four months and ten days — which is basically her iddah. In contrast to other religions, where they had to sit in iddah for one entire year. أُمَّةً وَسَطًا — We made you a moderate Ummah. Moderation in everything. In grief and in happiness as well.

Moderation in Celebration — The Nikah Example

What is the perfect balance in times of happiness? There happens a Nikah amongst the Ansar. Rasulullah asked Aisha: "O Aisha, don't you have anything to entertain the Ansar? The Ansar are such people that they like entertainment." And then what did he mean? He said that at Nikah and at Walimah, it is permissible for you to strike and to hit the duff — a one-sided drum. So you have a Nikah taking place completely quiet, nothing going on. Rasulullah said: "Strike the balance and have some entertainment. Have some joy. You are allowed to play the drums."

But today of course we have reached another extreme. We have left alone the duff and gone to the extremes of committing haram in Nikah. Moderation at times of joy. Moderation in party. Moderation in celebration.

The Two Festivals of the Pre-Islamic Era

So this is an example of how Rasulullah had placed the perfect balance in times of grief and in times of happiness. So we have many festivals that come up throughout the year. Rasulullah does Hijrah after spending 13 years in Mecca. And the hadith says that Rasulullah enters Medina and he finds many Ansar — they were Sahaba, they were Muslims — celebrating two specific days.

So he asked the Ansar: "O my Sahaba, what are these two days you play and you celebrate in?" So they say: "O Rasul, these are two days which we would celebrate in the pre-Islamic era." Now understand — these are the days of Nawruz and Mihrajan. These were the two festivals of the Faris — of the pagans, of the non-Muslims, of the polytheists. It became so popular that even many of the Arabs started to celebrate it, and not only the Arabs but the Ansar.

Now listen to the response — and this will remove all doubts about why it is not permissible. "But can I perhaps just go once?" O my Sahaba, Allah has replaced and Allah has substituted every celebration that exists in the pre-Islamic era with two days. Allah has given you something better. Be happy with Allah's decision. Be content with Allah's decree. Allah has given you something better. Why are you going for something that is lower? Allah has given to you two better days.

The Last Verse of the Quran and the Response of Umar

When the last verse of the Quran was revealed — Rasulullah lived 81 days after this verse — a Jewish man comes to Umar and he says: "You have such a verse in the Quran that has completed your Quran. If it had to be revealed to us, then we would have made this a day of festival. We would have celebrated the day that our Torah, for example, is completed. You have a verse in your Quran like that."

Umar said: "We are not people who celebrate and who party upon every occasion and everything that happens." The last verse of the Quran — the Jewish man suggests they should celebrate. Umar said: "No, there is no need for that. I have perfected the religion and I have completed it. There is no room for more. There is no space for anything more."

The Words of Umar — Carved in Gold

He also said — words that are worth being carved in gold — when speaking about those who want to adopt foreign cultures:

"We are a nation. Allah has given us honor and respect because of Islam. When we are going to seek it somewhere else, when we are going to seek the cultures of others, Allah will disgrace us."

He also said in another quotation: "O my people, do not enter the places of the festivals when they celebrate and when they party, because Allah's wrath descends upon them."

The Qualities of the Muttaqeen

What does the Quran say? Allah counts the qualities of the Muttaqeen, the qualities of the believers, and He says one of their qualities is:

They are those people who do not attend futile gatherings. See the tafsir of that verse. See the explanation of this verse. The mufassireen say: the festivals of the pagans and the festivals of the non-Muslims. And when they happen to pass by it, they pass by it with dignity. What does it mean with dignity? It means that they hasten their pace and they lower their gaze. So they don't stand there and look and watch and observe. They pass with dignity.

The Reward of a Hundred Martyrs

Ibn Kathir writes: Understand, we are living in a time that corruption is dominant. And this is a time when you hold on to Islam and you hold on against the majority, and you adopt a method that is against the majority — you will receive the reward of a hundred martyrs.

Whoever practices my Sunnah — and Rasul's Sunnah is only the two Eids — he will receive the reward of a hundred martyrs. The Sahaba say: "O Rasul, martyrs from them or from us?" Rasul said: مِنْكُمْ — "From you."

So a person who keeps himself away and avoids such customs and such cultures of the non-Muslims, of the pagans — and so many of these cultures in celebration trace back to the pagan custom — so we need to tell ourselves: Allah has given us a wholesome religion. Allah has given us a moderate religion. We don't celebrate every single month. Allah has given us a religion that we are happy with and we are content with. And we make du'a to Allah that He gives us death on this religion.