al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya wa al-Fadail wa al-Qiyam al-Khalida

al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya wa al-Fada'il wa al-Qiyam al-Khalida (Islam is the Religion of Moderation, Virtues, and Eternal Values) is a contemporary treatise by Moroccan scholar Abd al-Salam al-Harras examining the Islamic concept of moderation (wasatiyya), its scriptural foundation, and its ethical, social, and civilizational dimensions al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya….

Scope and Objectives

The author introduces the work by observing that although the theme of wasatiyya has been widely treated by contemporary researchers and preachers, he chose to present an independent analysis without being constrained by prior writings al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…. The treatise aims to demonstrate that Islamic moderation is rooted in the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, functioning as a comprehensive moral framework that reconciles material and spiritual demands, upholds human dignity, rejects extremism and sectarian excommunication (takfir), and guides peaceful engagement with the modern world al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+2.

Key Themes

Scriptural and Linguistic Basis of Moderation

The work grounds the concept of moderation in the Quranic verse: وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ("And thus We have made you a middle nation to be witnesses over humanity, and the Messenger a witness over you") [Quran 2:143] al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…. Al-Harras explains that linguistically, wasat signifies the best, most balanced, and most just position, just as the central jewel (wasitat al-qilada) is the most precious component of a necklace al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…. He correlates this with the Quranic description of the Muslim community as كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ ("the best nation produced for mankind") [Quran 3:110], arguing that this status is conditional upon enjoining right, forbidding wrong, and maintaining steadfast faith in God al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…. He emphasizes that the propagation of faith and moral reform must proceed through wisdom, gentle preaching, and peaceful discourse, citing لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ("There is no compulsion in religion") [Quran 2:256], and rejects the idea that enjoining good permits the use of force to coerce belief al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya….

Human Dignity, Ethics, and Civilizational Balance

The treatise outlines several practical manifestations of Islamic moderation:

• Human Dignity and Monotheism: God's honoring of humanity, direct repentance (tawba) without sacerdotal mediation, balance between fear and hope, and the absolute sanctity of human life al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+2.
• Historical Tolerance: The historical precedent of Muslim civilizations protecting non-Muslim minorities and their cultural legacy, contrasting Islamic rule in places such as al-Andalus—where Jewish and Christian communities survived and participated in society—with the destruction and expulsion that followed the Christian conquest of Spain al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+1.
• Integration of Science and Ethics: Al-Harras critiques modern Western consumerism and technological advancement detached from moral purpose, citing critiques by figures such as former UNESCO director-general Federico Mayor Zaragoza. He argues that genuine human progress requires anchoring knowledge and technology to moral character (akhlaq), spiritual etiquette (adab), and self-purification (tazkiyat al-nafs) al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+2.

Rejection of Extremism and Sectarian Discord

Al-Harras strongly criticizes extremist tendencies that resort to takfir, sectarianism, and unauthorized violence, likening them to the historical Kharijites al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+1. To counter these attitudes, he cites classical scholars:

• Ibn Taymiyya and Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, who both refused to excommunicate members of the Muslim community (ahl al-qibla) al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya….
• Juristic consensus reported by scholars such as Ahmad Zarruq regarding the necessity of preserving public order, avoiding rebellion (khuruj), and maintaining congregational prayer behind rulers to prevent chaos al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya….
• Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, noting that he was unjustly accused of extreme stances—such as invalidating the established schools of jurisprudence or universally excommunicating Muslims—which he explicitly rejected in his personal letters al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+1.

Contemporary Relevance and Renewal

The book points to the global resonance of Islamic values, noting Western conversions such as those of Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz)—who was moved by the absence of racial discrimination during the Hajj in Mecca—and Muhammad Asad al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+2. Al-Harras concludes that Islamic moderation cannot remain a purely theoretical slogan; it must be institutionalized through rigorous educational frameworks and internal spiritual reform (taghyir) to achieve authentic civilizational renewal, drawing on insights from Algerian thinker Malik Bennabi al-Islam Din al-Wasatiyya…+2.