Moderate or Extremist?

The text book definition of moderate is, reasonable, modest, sensible, and fair. All of which we as Muslims are supposed to be to begin with. However, the whole notion of moderate versus extreme Muslims used to confuse the bejeeses out of me until it dawned upon me one day during when I was in the mosque praying Maghrib.

After the Imam finished the prayer, the brother right next to me tapped me on the shoulder and this is how the conversation went:
Him: Brother, I noticed that you said salaam at the end of salaat rather quickly.
Me: not sure what he meant by that, what do you mean brother?
Him: well, you’re not supposed to move your head right and left right after the imam. You’re supposed to wait a little and then do it.
Me: smiling a little, brother, Allah is raheem and kareem. He looks at the heart and I’m sure he is often forgiving and merciful.
Him: No, it’s wrong.
Me: brother, let’s look at the bigger picture as Muslims shall we. Instead of worrying about such minor details, let’s focus upon the fact that someone is in the mosque praying. Let’s be happy about that.
Him: angrily, no but what’s wrong is wrong.
Me: smiling, thanks again, but we as Muslims really ought to be bigger than this. And Allah looks at the heart more than such minor incidents.
Him: this is just your lack of knowledge!.. (He then walks away).

I stayed there afterwards, sat down with the brothers who were teaching the hadeeth after the prayer, while all this time smiling and at the same time a little confused and angry. Because I realized for the first time what Muslims who claim to be moderate and not extreme Muslims, really meant by it.

I had always been an advocate of how there is no such concept of extremism or moderation in Islam. Because, in reality, Islam is black and white with no place for grey areas. However, once I started to notice how people who take the teachings and practices of Islam to the extreme in a negative sense, I realized that Islam is not extreme at all. Islam is all about forgiveness. And those who are very rigid and non-forgiving as Muslims are the ones who are creating a bad rapport for the deen of Islam, forcing the believers and non-believers to sub-divide Islam and Muslims into extremists and moderates.

In the times of Prophet Mohammed, pbuh, a man from a village passed by Masjid e nabwi (mosque of Prophet in Medina). The man had to use the restroom, and not knowing any better, in the middle of the mosque started to urinate. Upon seeing this companions of Prophet pbuh were outraged and they took out their swords ready to snap the neck off that person’s body. But our beloved Prophet pbuh asked the companions to step aside. Then he sat the person down and in a very calm and lovingly way explained to the person that the mosque is a place of worship for Allah swt. And that if someone has to urinate then the person should go to the designated areas where the restrooms are.
Such is the teachings of our prophet pbuh. Our prophet did not become angry because the wisdom dictated that a person who does not know any better should not be shouted upon. More over if anger is to be conveyed at such an incidence, the person could very well be pushed away from Islam if he is a believer, or the hope of the person converting to deen if Islam could be minimized by extreme or rude behavior.

When our Prophet would walk by the kids in the mosque who were reciting Quran while learning it, some of the children would not be able to pronounce the words correctly or would recite Quran incorrectly. Upon seeing this Prophet Mohammed would smile, sit and pat the children on their shoulders and would encourage them and be happy for what they were doing even after He knew they were doing it incorrectly. It is a hadith that a person who does not know how to read Quran, yet tries to read it earns double the rewards as the one know knows how to read it. Subhan Allah! This is what the Sunnah of our Prophet is! Do we see any extremism in the examples above?

We all talk about following the sunnah (actions that Prophet Mohammed pbuh did), when it comes to having a beard, wearing the shalwar above our ankles when praying as they’re actions which we do as being the sunnah. But sunnah is much more than just changing our appearances by growing our beards or by dressing a certain way. Sunnah is to employ the teachings of our Prophet and then mold our character in the way that our actions then mimic that of our Prophet. To follow the sunnah is to acquire a nature of forgiveness, love, care, affection for everyone not just the believers but also the non-believers.

In the earlier portion of his mission, the Prophet traveled to the city of Taif, a city located in the mountains nearby to Mecca, in order to invite them to accept Islam. The leaders of Taif, however, were rude and discourteous in their treatment of the Prophet. On His way back, the gangs and children of Taif started to throw stones at our Prophet. He was stoned to the point that His shoes became a puddle of blood flowing from his body down to his feet.
At this time, Angel Gabriel came to Prophet Mohammed and said, O Prophet, Allah swt has asked me to come to you and ask you that if you so please, the angles of mountains will be ordered to collapse with each other and the city of Taif shall be smashed within them. Upon hearing this prophet Mohammed said “No! For, I hope that Allah will bring forth from them people who will worship God alone, associating nothing with Him.” (saheeh Muslim).

Such are the examples that our Prophet Mohammed has set forth for us to follow. To follow the Sunnah is to follow the path of our Prophet. By acquiring the forgiving nature as we have been taught by his actions in some of the examples I have mentioned above. Why then do we as Muslims have become so intolerant of each other? Forget about the non-believers, we are intolerant even towards our own Muslims brothers and sisters! When I see the lack of tolerance, I remind myself that when people call themselves moderate and not extremists, they in reality are simply saying that the moderate ones are those who are practicing the Sunnah by having a forgiving and loving nature. While those who are taking the extreme on being intolerant are simply giving the deen of Islam a bad reputation that needs not be.

I pray that Allah swt gives us all the taufeeq to become the best of the best Muslims and enable us to walk on the path of Prophet Mohammed pbuh to the best of our ability. Ameen!