Islam is Against Extremism

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ ونستغفره ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ

يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلا سَدِيدًا يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

فإن أَصْدَقُ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَحْسَنُ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَشَرُّ الأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلُّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلُّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلالَةٌ وَكُلُّ

What is Extremism?

Linguistic meaning:

Ibn Mandhoor said: “it  means exceeding the bounds. From it is the term the prices have become expensive (غلا ) and the pot has boiled (غلا )”

[Lisan ul-Arab (15/134)]

Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “and extremism (الغلو) is exceeding the bounds by increasing something in its praise or blame above what it deserves and the likes of that”

[Iqtidaa as-Siraatul-Mustaqeem li Mukhaalifah Ashaabul Jaheem (1/328)]

The Legislated Meaning:

“Exceeding the legislated boundary”. The opposite of extremism is falling short           (التقصير) and both are blameworthy. The best of affairs is the middle path.

Muttarif ibn Abdillah said rahimahullah said:

الْحَسَنَةُ بَيْنَ سَيِّئَتَيْنِ

“Good is between two evils [i.e. between extremism and falling-short]”

It was said: extremism is exceeding the boundary by excessive or falling short

– Faisal Ibn AbdulQaadir ibn Hassan Abu Sulaymaan