Re: Moderation
Mara thanks:
Well, it seems that some still have doubts on why ‘Muslims should be called moderate’ and they also have doubt that ‘extremists are not Muslims but misguided, evil and ignorant’. Better we go to Quran as I believe Quran is undeniable and perfect ‘hujjat’ for a Muslim (only Kafir can deny that).
Actually Allah tells us (Muslims) to be moderate in Quran: Those who are not moderate are really not Muslims but according to Allah, are evil, arrogant and bray like Ass (it is not what I am saying, don’t blame me of being abusive, I just mentioned what is there in Quran). Here are ayahs from Quran. Read them Ayahs carefully, understand these ayahs, and think.
Surah Al-Maeda (5), ayah 66:
YUSUFALI: If only they had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the right course: but many of them follow a course that is evil.
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PICKTHAL:** If they had observed the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed unto them from their Lord, they would surely have been nourished from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them there are people who are moderate, but many of them are of evil conduct.
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SHAKIR:** And if they had kept up the Taurat and the Injeel and that which was revealed to them from their Lord, they would certainly have eaten from above them and from beneath their feet there is a party of them keeping to the moderate course, and (as for) most of them, evil is that which they do.
Thus, from above (in hard red) it is obvious that right course (what Yusuf Ali translated) and moderate course (what Pickthal and Shakir translated) is same. For rest who are not on moderate course (following Islam), according to Quran as mentioned above (in hard black), they are following evil course and thus are evil (According to Quran).
[Note: anything Allah mentions in Quran about peoples of the book applies to people of Quran (Muslims) too. If Allah considers that people of the book who were on right path followed the moderate course and that other (that means, those who follow extremist course) are evil, same applies to Muslims too].
Again in surah Luqman (31), ayah 18-19 (here Allah has clearly defined the difference between being moderate and being ignorant and evil):
YUSUFALI (31:18): "And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster.
YUSUFALI (31:19): "And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass."
Though above ayah (31:18-19) is talking about being moderate in behaviours, ayah also shows that in front of Allah, those on right path and behaviour are people who are moderate. In ayah, Allah compared people who are moderate with those that are not moderate, in clear words. From ayahs, it is also obvious that Allah loves those that are moderate (and it is actually them whom Allah considers Muslims). As for rest, who are not moderate, Allah calls them ‘arrogant’ and people that bray like Ass (gadha).
Thus, according to Quran, in front of Allah a Muslim is Moderate (it is moderate whom Allah loves), and course of Islam is moderate course (Quran 5:66). Further, in front of Allah, those who are not moderate are evil, arrogant and bray like Ass (Quran 31:18-19).