The first indications of exttemism include bigotry and intolerance, which make a person
obstinately devoted to his own opinions and prejudices, as well as rigidity, which
deprives him of clarity of vision regarding the interests of other human beings, the
purposes of Shariah, or the circumstances of the age. Such a person does not allow any
opportunity for dialogue with others so that he may compare his opinion with theirs, and
chooses to follow what appears to him most sound. We equally condemn this person's attempt
to suppress and discard the opinions of others, just as we condemn the similar attitude of
his accusers and opponents. Indeed, we emphatically condemn his attitude if he claims that
he alone is right and everybody else is wrong, accusing those who have different ideas and
opinions of ignorance and self-interest, and those with different behaviour of
disobedience and fisq as if he were an infallible prophet and his words were divinely
revealed. This attitude contradicts the consensus of the Ummah, that what every person
says can be totally or partly accepted or rejected, except, of course, the ahadith of
Prophet Muhammad (SA'AS).
Strangely, though some of these people take liberty in exercising ijtihad in the most
complicated matters and issues and pass notional and whimsical judgments yet they would
deprive the contemporary expert 'ulama' singly or collectively-of the right to exercise
ijtihad regarding statements which contradict theirs. Some of them never hesitate to give
ridiculous opinions on, and interpretations of, the Qur'an and Sunnah; opinions which are
contradictory to those handed down to us by our forefathers, or subsequently arrived at by
contemporary ulama' This indifference is due to their presumption to be on an equal
footing with Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Ali, and Ibn Abbas (RA'A). This presumption might be less
grave if these people admits that their contemporaries who uphold different views or
approaches are also capable of ijtihad like themselve; but they would not.
Bigotry is the clearest evidence of extremisim. An extremist seems to address people in
this way: "I have the right to speak, your duty is to listen. I have the right to
lead, your duty is to follow. My opinion is right, it cannot be wrong. Your opinion is
wrong, it can never be right."
Thus, a bigot can never come to terms with others. Agreement is possible and can be
reached when people hold moderate positions, but a bigot neither knows nor believes in
moderation. He stands in relation to people as the East stand in relation to the West-the
nearer you get to one, the further you move away from the other.
The issue becomes even more critical when such a person develops the tendency to coerce
others, not necessarily physically but by accusing them of bidah, laxity,
kufr, and
deviation. Such intellectual terrorism is as terrifying as physical terrorism.
The second characteristic of extremism manifests itself in a perpetual commitment to
excessiveness, and in attempts to force others to do likewise, despite the existence of
good reasons for facilitation and the fact that Allah (SWT) has not ordained it. A person
motivated by piety and caution may, if he so wishes, choose a hard-line opinion in some
matters and on certain occasions. But this should not become so habitual that he rejects
facilitation when he needs it. Such an attitude is not in keeping with the teachings of
the Qura'an or Sunnah as is clear from the following verse: "Allah intends every
facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties".
The Prophet (SA'AS) also said in ahadith already quoted: "Facilitate [matters to
people] and do not make [things] difficult."
He also said: "Allah loves that His dispensations [to make things easier] be
accepted, as He dislikes [to see people] committing disobedience.
It is also reported that "whenever
the Prophet (SA'AS) was given a choice between two options, he always chose the easiest
unless it was a sin."
Complicating matters for people and causing constraint in their lives are contrary to the
most outstanding qualities of the Prophet Muhammad (SA'AS). These qualities have been
mentioned in earlier scriptures and later revealed in the Qur'an:
He [Muhammad] allows them as lawful what is good [and pure] and prohibits them from what
is bad [and impure], he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are
upon them.
This is why the Prophet (SA'AS) used to prolong his salah only when he was alone. In fact,
he used to offer salah throughout the night until his feet were swollen. But when leading
people in ,salah, he used to shorten it, taking into consideration the circumstances of
his followers and their varying levels of endurance , He said in this respect, "If
any of you leads people in salah, he should shorten it, for among them are the weak, the
sick, and the old; and if any of you offers ,salah alone, then he may prolong [it] as much
as he wishes.
Abu Mas'ud al Ansari narrated that a man said to the Prophet (SA'AS): "O Messenger of Allah, I keep away from Salat
al Fajr only because so and so prolongs it." The
Prophet (SA'AS) became very angry and said: people, some of you make people dislike good
deeds [ in this case salah]. Whoever leads people in salah should shorten it because among
them are the weak, the old, and those who have business to attend to.
As we have already mentioned, the Prophet (SA'AS) reacted in the same way when a man
complained to him that Mu'adh (RA'A) prolonged the ,salah. Anas Ibn Malik narrated:
"The Prophet (SA'AS) said:
"When I stand for ,salah, I intend to prolong it, but I cut it short on hearing the
cries of a child, because I do not like to trouble the mother".
It is also strict, excessive and overburdening to require people to observe
supererogatories in the same way as they would observe the obligatories, or hold them
accountable for the things which are mukrahat as if these were muharramat. In fact, we
should demand that people observe only what Allah (SWT) has categorically commanded. The
extra and additional forms of ibadah are optional.
The following incident shows that this was also the Prophet's opinion. A bedouin once
asked the Prophet (SA'AS) about the obligatory prescriptions required of him. The Prophet
(SA'AS) mentioned only three: salah, zakah, and siyam. When the bedouin asked if there was
anything else which he must do, the Prophet (SA'AS) replied in the negative, adding that
the bedouin could volunteer to do more if he so wished. As the bedouin was leaving, he
swore never to increase or decrease what the Prophet (SA'AS) had asked him to do. When the
Prophet (SA'AS) heard this he said, "If
he is saying the truth, he will succeed or [said] 'he will be granted jannah. If a Muslim in this age observes the wajibat and
eschews the most heinous of the muharramat, he should be accommodated in the fold of Islam
and regarded as one of its advocates so long as his
loyalty is to Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SA'AS). Even if he commits some minor
muharramat, the merits gained by his observance of the five daily salawat, salat al jumuah
(Friday prayers), siyam, etc. will expiate his small faults.
The Qur'an says: "Good deeds
remove those that are evil", and in another verse: If you [but] eschew the most heinous of the things
which are forbidden, We shall expel out of you all the evil in you and admit you to a
state of great honor.
In view of the above evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, how could we expel a Muslim from
the fold of Islam merely because of his commitment to certain controversial matters which
we are not sure are ,halal or haram, or because of his failure to observe something which
we are not certain is wajib or mandub? This is why I object to the tendency of some pious
people to adopt and cling to hard-line opinions, not only in their own personal practice
but also in influencing others to do the same. I also object to the charges levered by
such people against any Muslim 'alim who disagrees with their line of thought and opts for
facilitation in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah in order to relieve people of distress
and undue restrictions in their religious practice.
The third characteristic of extremism is the out-of-time and out-of-place religious
excessiveness and overburdening of others, i.e., when applying Islamic principles to
people in non-Muslim countries or to people who have only recently converted to Islam, as
well as to newly committed Muslims. With all these, emphasis should not be put on either
minor or controversial issues, but on fundamentals. Endeavors should be made to correct
their concepts and understanding of Islam before anything else. Once the correct beliefs
are firmly established, then one can begin to explain the five pillars of Islam and
gradually to emphasize those aspects which make a Muslim's belief and practice compatible,
and his entire life an embodiment of what is pleasing to Allah (SWT).
This fact was recognized by the Prophet Muhammad (SA'AS) himself when he sent Muadh
(RA'A)
to Yemen. He told him: You are going to [meet] people of a [divine] scripture, and when
you reach them call them to witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is
His Messenger. And if they obey you in that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on
them five salawat to be performed every day and night. And if they obey you in that, then
tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them sadaqah [zakah] to be taken from the rich
amongst them and given to the poor amongst them.
Notice the gradation in the Prophet's advice to Mu'adh
(RA'A). I was shocked and dismayed during a tour of North America to find that devout
young Muslims-who belong to some Muslim groups-have initiated a great controversy because
Muslims sit on chairs during theSaturday and Sunday lectures in mosques instead of sitting
on mats on the ground, and do not face the Ka'bah as Muslims do and also because those who
attend wear shirts and trousers rather than loose outer coverings, and sit at dining
tables to eat rather than on the ground. I was angered by this kind of thinking and
behavior in the heart of North America. I, therefore, addressed these people: It would be
more worthwhile in this materialistic society to make your paramount concern the call to
monotheism and the ibadah of Allah (SWT), to remind people of the hereafter, of the noble
Islamic values, and to warn them of the heinous acts in which the materially-developed
countries have been totally immersed. The norms of behavior and the ameliorations in
religious practice are governed by time as well as place, and should be introduced only
after the most necessary and fundamental tenets have been firmly established.
In another Islamic center, people were creating a considerable fuss over the showing of a
historical or educational film in a mosque, claiming that "mosques have been turned
into movie "heaters," but forgetting that the purpose of the mosque is to serve
the wordly as well as spiritual interest of Muslims. During the time of Prophet Muhammad
(SAAS) the masjid-or the mosque-was the center of dawah and of the state, as well as of
social activities. We are all aware of the Prophet's granting permission to a group of
people from Abyssinia to sport with their spears in the middle of his masjid, and that he
allowed Aishah (RA'A) to watch them.
The fourth characteristic of extremism manifests itself in harshness in the
treatment of people, roughness in the manner of approach, and crudeness in calling people
to Islam, all of which are contrary to the teachings of the Qur'an and
Sunnah. Allah (SWT)
commands us to call to Islam and to His teachings with wisdom, not with foolishness, with
amicability, not with harsh words:
Invite [all] to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with
them in ways that are best and most gracious.
It also describes the Prophet (SA'AS), thus: Now has come unto you a Messenger from among
yourselves. It grieves him that you should perish, ardently anxious is he over you. To the
believers he is kind and merciful.
The Qur'an also addressed the Prophet (SA'AS), defining his relationship with his
companions:
It is part of the mercy of Allah that
you [Muhammad] deal justly with them. If you were severe and harsh-hearted they would have
broken away from about you.
Firmness and harsh-heartedness are mentioned only in connection with two issues in the
Qur'an.
First, in connection with war, when a successful military strategy necessitates
fortitude and the shelving of leniency until the war comes to an end. "Fight the
unbelievers who gird you about and let them find firmness in you" (9:123).
Second, in connection with the execution of punishment on the guilty in accordance
with Shaniah, there is no room for compassion in applying Allah's injunctions:
The man and woman guilty of adultery or fornication, flog each of them with a hundred
stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a manner prescribed by Allah, if
you believe in Allah and the Last Day. But in the field of dawah, there is no place for
violence and harshness.
This is evidenced in the following ahadith: "Allah loves kindness in all matters and, "Kindness makes things
beautiful, violence makes them defective," as well as in the following wisdom of our
forebears: "Whoever desires to command the common good, let him do it gently."
Violence can do nothing more than distort dawah to the path of Allah (SWT). Dawah seeks to
penetrate the innermost recesses of man to transform him into a godly person in his
conceptions, emotions, and behavior by altering his thoughts, feelings, and will as well
as the whole of his being, thereby shaping him into a different person. It also shakes up
the structure of the society and alters its inherited beliefs, well established
traditions, moral conventions, and prevailing systems.
All this cannot be achieved without wisdom and amicability, and without taking into
consideration human nature-man's obstinancy, resistance to change, and argumentativeness.
These characteristics necessitate the exercise of kindness and gentleness when attempting
to reach man's heart and mind so that his hardness can be softened, his rigidity abated
and his pride checked. This approach was described for us in the Quran as having been
followed by earlier prophets and sincere believers who called people to the ibadah of
Allah (SWT).
Examples can be found in Ibrahim's call to his father and
people, in Shu'aib's call to his people, in Musas call to Pharaoh, in the Believer's call
to Pharaoh's people, in the Believer's call-in Surat Yasin -as well as in the calls of
others who directed people to the truth and righteousness.
Let us listen to and contemplate the spirit in which the Believer-a man who possesses iman
from among Pharaoh's people-addresses Pharaoh and the people expressing his sense of
belonging to them and his concern for their destiny and for the permanence of their
dominion and glory:
O my People! Yours is the dominion this
day: You have the upper hand in the land: but who will help us from the punishment of
Allah should it fall upon us?.
Then he reminds them of earlier nations who refused to listen to the message of Allah
(SWT): O my People! Truly I do fear for you something like the Day [of disaster] of the
Confederates [in sin]-Something like the fate of the people of Nuh, and 'Ad and
Thamud,
and those who came after them: but Allah never wishes injustice upon His servants.
Then he describes the disaster which might befall them on the Day of Judgment, a day which
they believe in, one way or another:
And O my People! I fear for you a Day when there will be mutual calling [and wailing], a
Day when you will turn your backs and flee: no defender shall you have from Allah. Any
whom Allah leaves to stray, there is none to guide.
He continues his earnest beseeching in a manner dominated by gentleness and compassion; he
warns, but he also inspires with hope:
O my People! Follow me! I will lead you
to the Right Path. O my People! This life of the present is nothing but [temporary]
convenience. It is the hereafter that is the home that will last... And O my People! How
[strange] it is for me to call you to salvation while you call me to the Fire. You do call
upon me to blaspheme against Allah and to join with Him partners of whom I have no
knowledge, and I call you to the Exalted in Power, Who forgives again and again!.
Then he ends his advice with the following:
Soon will you remember what I say to you [now]. My [own] affair I commit to Allah, for
Allah [ever] watches over His servants.
This is the approach and manner which contemporary Muslim duah should emulate and adopt
with the stubborn, and with people of other religions. This is also embodied in Allah's
advice to His two messengers, Musa ('AS) and his brother Harun ('AS), who were sent to
preach to Pharaoh:
Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds. But speak to him
mildly, perchance he may take warning or fear [Allah].
Accordingly. Musa ('AS) addressed Pharaoh very gently: Would you that thou should be
purified [from sin]. And that I guide you to your Lord, so that you should fear Him?.
No wonder then that experienced people in da'wah reject and disapprove of the young
peoples' manner in arguing with those who hold different opinions! Rather than calling
people to the Way of Allah (SWT) with wisdom, they are quite often harsh, rough, and
crude. No distinction is made between the old and the young; no special consideration is
given to those whose age or status deserves special respect, that is, parents, teachers,
the learned, or those who have precedence in da'wah and jihad. Nor do the young people
differentiate between those sectors in the community-such as the laity, the illiterate,
and the misled-who are ceaselessly batto earn a living, and those who actively resist
Islam out of malice or treason, not ignorance.
Such lack of insight is still dominant in Muslim society, despite the fact that the early
scholars of ahadith literature distinguished very clearly between the common innovators
who did not call others to their innovation and those who deliberately publicized and
defended their bidah (condemned innovations). The reports of the former were accepted,
while those of the latter were rejected.
Suspicion and distrust are also manifestations of extremism. An extremist readily accuses
people and quickly passes judgement contrary to the generally accepted norm:
"innocent until proven guilty." He considers a person guilty the moment he
suspects him of something. He jumps to conclusions rather than looking for explanations.
The slightest mistake is blown out of all proportions; a mistake becomes a sin, and a sin
kufr. Such a reaction is a stark violation of the spirit and teachings of Islam which
encourage Muslims to think well of other Muslims, to try to find an excuse for their
misbehavior, and to help them improve their words and deeds.
The religious sincerity and integrity of those who disagree with such an extremist are
always called into question. An extremist would depict people as being guilty of
transgression, innovation, or disrespect for the Prophet's Sunnah even if their views are
solidly based upon authentic Islamic texts.
One could cite many examples: If you argue that carrying a stick or eating while sitting
on the ground has nothing to do with the Sunnah, you would be accused of disrespect for
the Prophet (.SA'AS) himself. Not even learned Muslim scholars and 'ulama' are spared such
accusations If afaqih gives a fatwa which facilitates matters for Muslims, he is
considered lax on religious issues; if a Muslim daiyah tries to cal to Islam in a manner
suitable to the spirit and the taste of the age, h is accused of succumbing to and
patronizing Western civilization.
Moreover, these accusations are not only hurled at the living but also at the dead, who
are unable to defend themselves. No one holding different opinion can escape unjust
indiscriminate accusations, such a being a Freemason, a predeterminist, a
Jahmi, or a
rationalist Mu'tazili Even the four great jurists of Islam who established the main
Islamic juristic schools and who have earned the respect of the majority
Muslims throughout the centuries have not escaped the venomous slander of the extremists.
Indeed, the whole history of the Muslim Ummah after the fourth century AH, with its
glorious legacy and unprecedented civilization, has been a target of unjustified
criticism. It is considered by the extremists as being the source of contemporary evils,
the root of our malaise. To some extremists, it was a period of conflict and discord, of
struggle for personal power; for others, a period of ignorance and even kufr.
This destructive tendency is not new. Extremists existed even during the time of the
Prophet (SA'AS). Once, an extremist among the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah) accused the
Prophet (SA'AS) of favoritism in his divisor and distribution of the spoils of war.
The gravest shortcoming of the contemporary extremists is suspicion Had they understood
and comprehended the Quran and Sunnah, they would have discovered that both seek to foster
in the mind of each and every Muslim the confidence and trust of other fellow Muslims. A
Muslim is not even allowed to publicize the minor mistakes and faults of others or become
blind to their merits; thus some people are interested in criticizing others and in
praising themselves: "Therefore,
justify not yourselves: He knows best who it is that guards against evil".
Indeed, Islam strongly warns against two characteristics: despairing of Allah's mercy and
suspecting fellow human beings. Allah (SWT) says:. O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much [as possible]: for suspicion in
some cases is a sin .
The Prophet (SA'AS) also says in this respect: "Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the false element in a talk."
The origins of all this include suspicion as well as arrogance and the despising of other
people. These are the basis of the first act of disobedience-that of Satan; he refused
Allah s command for him to pro strafe himself to Adam, claiming: "I am better than he 1ist".
It is worthwhile to heed the warning embodied in the following hadith: "If you hear a
person saying that people are ruined, he himself will be ruined for being vain and
conceited." And in another narration ".the himself caused their ruin,"
i.e., by his suspicion and snobbery, and by causing them to despair of Allah's mercy.
Vanity is one of the human traits which causes degeneration and which our Muslim scholars
call the "sins of the hearts." The Prophet (SA'AS) warned us against these sins:
"There are three deadly sins-unrestrained avarice. desire, and vanity." A true
Muslim never takes pride in his work or actions, since he is never sure that Allah
(SWT)
will accept them.
The Qur'an describes the charitable people: "And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear,
because they will return to their Lord". It is
reported in hadith literature that this Qur'anic verse is about people who do righteous
deeds but fear that Allah (SWT) may not accept them. Ibn Ata said: "Allah may open up
for you the gates of obedience, but He may not open up for you the gates of acceptance. He
may ordain you a state of disobedience which may happen to lead you to the right path. The
disobedience which teaches you humility is better than the piety which vests you with
vanity and arrogance!" . This derives from the following saying by ALI ibn Abu Talib
(RA'A): "A mishap that befalls a person is better in the sight of Allah than a good
action which initiates pride."
Ibn Mas'ud also said: "Ruin is caused by two traits-pride and despair. Happiness
cannot be attained without effort and stuggle. A vain person does not make any effort
because he believes that he is perfect; a despairing person does not make any effort
because he believes it is useless."
Extremism reaches its utmost limit when a single group deprives all people of the right to
safety and protection, and instead sanctions their killing and the confiscation of their
lives and property. This, of course, occurs when an extremist holds all people-except
those in his group-to be kuffar This kind of extremism severs any bond between such a
perscn and the rest of the Ummah. This is the trap into which the Khawarij fell during the
dawn of Islam, although they were known for their strict observance of religious duties
such as salah, siyam, and recitation of the Quran. However their thinking rather than
their conscience was distorted and corrupt. Hence they were so infatuated with their
belief and behavior that they, unintentionally, deviated from the right path.
The Prophet (SA'AS) described the devotion of such people by saying: "One of you would hold insignificant his own
salah compared wit their [the Khawarij] salah, and his qiyam compared with their qiyam,
his recitation [of the Qur'an] compared with their recitation." Nevertheless, he said
of them: "They would recite the Qur'an but it would not go beyond their throat, and
they pass through religion without a mark." This means that they would slip out of
religion as an arrow would slip out of its bow.
The Prophet (SA'AS) also said of them that they regard it as their duty to "destroy adherents of Islam and save the
idol-worshippers."
This is why when a Muslim fell into their hands and was asked about his identity, he
replied that he was a mushrik curious to find out about Allah's message and book. On
hearing this the Khawarij told the man that they would protect him and grant him safe
passage. In support of their decision, they recited the following verse from the
Qur'an:
If one amongst the pagans asks you for
asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the Word of Allah; and then escort him to
where he may be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge. The irony is that
if the man had admitted that he was a Muslim twould have killed him.
Unfortunately, some Muslims have not yet learned this lesson. The Jamaat al Takfir wa al
Hijrah group seems to be following in the footsetps of the Khawarij. They readily brand as
kafir anybody who commits a sin and does not immediately repent. More condemned in their
view are the rulers who do not apply Shariah, as well as the people who submit to such
rulers. Still more sinful in their view are the 'ulama' who do not openly condemned both
as kuffar, as well as those who reject the group's beliefs and submit to the laws
elaborated by the four great jurists of Islam on the basis of ijma: qiyas, maslahah
mursalah, or istihsan. Moreover any one who first pledges support for their cause and
joins their group, then decides to leave it-for one reason or another- is considered a
murtadd and must be put to death. Indeed, they hold all the Islamic periods succeeding the
fourth century A.H. as periods of ignorance and kufr, worshipping the idol of tradition
rather than Allah (SWT) , In this way, the group became so excessive in accusing people of
kufr that they spared neither the dead nor the living. The group thus have run into deep
trouble, because accusing a Muslim of kufr is a very serious matter which entails very
serious consequences-his killing and the confiscation of his property become lawful. As a
kafir, he must be separated from his wife and children; there can be no bond between him
and other Muslims; he must be deprived of his inheritance and cannot be inherited from; he
must be denied the Islamic burial and the salah for the dead person; and he must not be
buried in a Muslim graveyard.
The Prophet (SA'AS) said: "When a Muslim calls another Muslim kafir, then surely one
of them is such." This means that unless the accusation is validated and
substantiated, it will fall back on the accuser, who will face great danger in this world
and in the hereafter.
Usamah ibn Zayd said: "If a man says, 'I witness that there is no god but Allah,'he
has embraced Islam, and [consequently] his life and property should be granted safety. If
he said so in fear or to protect himself from the sword, he will account for that before
Allah. We should [judge] the apparent."
The Prophet (SA'AS) rebuked Usaimah when he discovered that the latter had killed a man
who had uttered the shahadah following a battle in which the man's tribe was defeated.
When Usamah argued that he thought-at the time-that the man did so as a shelter and in
fear, the Prophet (SA'AS) said:
"Did you look into his heart after he had confessed that there is no God but
Allah?" Usamah relates: "He [the Prophet went
on repeating this to me till I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day"
Shari'ah teaches that those who embrace Islam with certainty of mind can only be expelled
from its fold by proven and substantiated evidence Even major muharramat such as murder,
fornication, and drinking alcohol do not justify the accusation of kufr, provided that the
person concerned does not show disrespect for, reject, or refuse to recognize the
Shari'ah.
This is why the Qur'an established brotherly love between the person who commits a
premeditated murder and the next of kin to the murdered as this verse shows:
And for him who is forgiven somewhat by his [injured] brother, prosecution according to
usage and payment unto him in kindness.
The Prophet (SA'AS) also addressed a person who cursed an alcoholic who had already been
punished several times for alcoholism: "Do
not curse him; he loves Allah and His Messenger"
Further, the Shariah has prescribed different punishments for crimes such as murder,
fornication, and drunkeness. Had all of these been k' then they would have been punished
in accordance with the law of riddah. All the obscure and vague evidence on which the
extremists base the accusations are refuted by fundamental and categorical texts in both
Qur'an and Sunnah. This issue was settled by the Ummah centuries agoit is futile to try to
revive and renew it.