Islam is a moderate religion,Moderation of Muhammad(salla Allah Alai Wassallam)

Submitted by Bilawal (Pakistan), Apr 9, 2008 at 08:22

Muhammad (Salla Allah Alai Wasallam) was a perfect example of moderation to his followers and whole humanity in every walk of life. He advised them to spend within their means, niether to be so lavish as to make themselves destitute, nor to hold back their wealth from those who had a claim on thier resources.

"Do not hold back altogether out of miserliness and render yourselves blame worthy, nor spend without restraint and exaust your wealth, thus becoming yourself destitute"(17:29).

He gave mankind the golden rule of moderation between the two extremes of lavish expenditure and miserliness.He taught, by his own example,the same rule of moderation in eating,in dressing, in worship etc.

Abdullah bin Umar al-Aas said that once he decided to engage himself in worship all the time,to fast during the day and to read the Quran during whole night.His father married him to a young woman.Once his father asked his wife about him,and she replied; "He is a very pious man and never comes to his bed for sleep nor keep any relationship with anyone." His father became very angry with him and said that he had married him to a very gentle woman and that he had kept her in suspense all this time. But in his enthusiasm for worship, he did not take notice of this.

His father complained to God s' messanger Muhammad (Salla Allah Alai wassallam), who said to him,"I have heard that you fast durinmg the day and pray all night. Then,God s' messanger said ,"Don't do that,but instead fast sometimes and eat sometimes;pray during the night and sleep as well, for your body has a claim on you; your eyes have a claim on you; lack of sleep will weaken them; your wife and children and relatives have a claim on you too.

We can easily understand how Muhammad (Salla Allah alai wassallam) preached moderation and Surely he was himself a perfect example for that.

'Anas reported God s' messanger as Saying, "Don't be too cruel to yourself, certain nations adopted severity towards themselves so God punished them. You can see their remnants in churches and monasteries." Muhammad (Salla Allaha Alai Wassllam) forbade asceticism and renunciation of the normal pleasures of life, nor did he like perpetual and formal prayers in isolation. He told the peoples to live the normal lives of ordinary human beings, for service to God was done through pure lives in the turmoil of this world. He wanted man to mix with other men,so that they could discipline themselves and learn resistance to evil and uphold the standard of truth and justice against heavy odds, wherever necessary.

Muhammad(Salla Allah Alai Wassalam) upheld the principles of truth and justice in his private and as well as public life and always abstained from the extremes of life. All his life in makkah as an ordinary Trader and in madina as a Ruler, he led a simple life ,avoiding extremes and taught mankind by his personal example to live a similarly moderate life.

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