The Fruits Of Knowledge

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Religion Of Islaam Is Appropriate For Every Time, Place And Condition

Allaah says:

لِمَن شَاءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ

"To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight."

[Al-Quraan 81:28]

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaymeen:

"Here, the Arabic noun for the verb used is اِسْتِقَامَة (istiqaamah) which means 'moderation.' And there is nothing more moderate or just than the justice found within Allaah's Legislated religion. Previous legislations were suitable for earlier nations, appropriate for their time, place, and circumstances. Likewise, after the mission of the Messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), the Legislation he brought is suitable and applicable to those to whom he was sent – everyone from the beginning of his mission until the end of this world.

There is a well-known saying in our religion: The religion of Islaam is suitable and ensures the well-being of every time, place, and circumstance. When people stick to it, Allaah corrects the affairs of creation.

Consider that a person is instructed to pray standing. If he is unable to stand, then sitting, and if unable to sit, he may pray lying down. In this way, the religion is suitable and easily applied — and progressive — according to the circumstances of each individual. This religion is appropriate for every time, place, and condition.

Similarly, someone who washes for prayer may use water if he is able or has it. Otherwise, he may use clean sand or even pray without washing at all. This is because Allaah's religious Legislation, all of it, is based on moderation and justice. There is no unfairness, discrimination, oppression, strictness or hardship in it. For this reason, Allaah refers to it as 'the straight path'.

The opposite of this istiqaamah, this moderation or 'straightness,' is deviation – deviation to the side of extremism and intolerance or deviation to the side of negligence and slackness. So people follow three different paths regarding the religion of Allaah:

1) the path of extremism, intolerance, or extravagance;

2) the path of negligence and carelessness,

3) the path of moderation between the two extremes. This third path is the 'the straight path', the praiseworthy manner of following the religion of Allaah.

As for the first and second paths, extremism and negligence, both lead to destruction. They destroy their followers with excessiveness or negligence. For example, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) forbade people from going to the extreme of intolerance and harshness; he said:

هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ ، هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ ، هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ

'The harsh ones are destroyed, the harsh ones are destroyed, the harsh ones are destroyed.'

[Saheeh Muslim, No. 2670]

Imaam An-Nawawee, in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim, explained the Arabic word in the Hadeeth المُتَنَطِّعُوْن (al-Mutanatti'uun), to mean, 'The extremists who go beyond the limits in their statements and actions.' In another Hadeeth collected by Muslim, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ ، وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ

'Indeed, Allaah is gentle and loves gentleness. He gives due to gentleness that which he does not give due to harshness.'

[Saheeh Muslim, No. 2593]

Harshness brings about hardship and causes people to leave the religion of Allaah (عز و جل). The other extreme, that of negligence and carelessness, has also been criticized. Allaah says, describing the hypocrites:

...وَإِذَا قَامُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ قَامُوا۟ كُسَالَىٰ يُرَآءُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

'...And when they stand up for the prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allaah but little.'

[Al-Quraan 4:142]

The religion of Allaah is one of moderation, between extremism and negligence, and this is why Allaah says:

لِمَن شَاءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ

"To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight."

[Al-Quraan 81:28]

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