The moderate religion

It has been some time since my last update, I apologize for the absence. Things are now happening in my life, decisions have been made, steps are taken, and I stand on the border of something larger inshallah. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers for now.

I wanted to take this moment to share the Khutba I held (on Friday, the 3rd of June). It was originally written by brother Sameer, one of the participants in the local masjid, who held the Khutba in Arabic, so I delivered a summary of it in Swedish. This is a translation of that summary. It is dealing with Islam as a moderate religion, an important topic to consider.

The Khutba

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Islam is a religion that maintains moderation. It is the best option in everything, not excessive and extreme on the one hand, nor loose and careless on the other. There were those who exaggerated in their faith, who called all other Muslims infidels, something we can also see in some extreme groups today. In the same way, there are groups that are careless, who feel free to commit great sins with the excuse that everything is okay as long as you have faith.

Three people visited the house of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and asked about his worship and thought it was too little. One of them said: “I will pray all night and will not sleep”. The other said: “I will fast continuously and I will not break my fast”, and the third said: “I will stay away from women and will not marry.”
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to them and said:
“I am the one of you who most fears Allah, but I pray at night and sleep, I fast and break my fast and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.”

An example of how the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) reacted to extreme thinking.

There are also people who may slack in the practice of their religion with the argument that “Islam is moderation, gentle and just.” That kind of thinking is not moderation. It is called negligence… carelessness.

Moderation is about commitment, to Allah (وتعالى) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), to your parents, your life partner, your children, relatives, neighbours and so on, in terms of conduct, even in terms of spending money. God Almighty says in the Qur’an:

سورة الفرقان ٦٧
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ قَوَامًا

Surah Al-Furqaan 25:67
Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes);