Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Samahatuh - Wahbah al-Zuhayli

Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Samahatuh (The Moderation and Tolerance of Islam) is a treatise by the Syrian jurist and scholar Wahbah al-Zuhayli (d. 1436 AH / 2015 CE) examining the foundational Islamic principles of moderation, tolerance, and constructive dialogue in personal, social, and international spheres Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.

Overview and Purpose

Al-Zuhayli, writing as a professor at the Faculty of Sharia at Damascus University, framed the work around three foundational pillars of Islam in local and international social relations: moderation (wasatiyyah), tolerance (samahah), and the call to constructive dialogue (da'wah li-l-hiwar) Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. The author states that the universal and enduring nature of the Islamic message requires an approach grounded in rationality, wisdom, balance, and human dignity, especially in a contemporary context where Islam faces accusations of extremism and terrorism Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.

Moderation in Islam

The first major division analyzes the concept, origins, and applications of moderation. Al-Zuhayli defines wasatiyyah linguistically as the balanced middle between extremes and the best of things, citing lexicographers like al-Jawhari and commentators including al-Tabari, al-Zamakhshari, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, and al-Qurtubi on the Quranic description of the Muslim community as a "middle nation" ( وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا , "And thus We have made you a middle nation") Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. He also notes the geographic positioning of Makkah as central to the globe Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa….

Al-Zuhayli outlines several spheres in which Islamic moderation operates:

• Human Nature and Desires: The legislation aligns with the innate human constitution (fitrah), harmonizing bodily and spiritual rights without monasticism ( وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا ) or hedonism Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• Creed (Aqidah): Faith is clear and accessible, balancing human free choice and responsibility with the encompassing cosmic will of God Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• Worship (Ibadat): Ritual obligations are characterized by ease, moderate exertion, and the avoidance of severity Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa….
• Transactions and Law: In civic and commercial transactions, Islamic law upholds freedom of contract, equivalence in exchange, and the invalidation of contracts tainted by deception (gharar), usury (riba), or unlawful motives, applying the maxim "matters are judged by their intentions" (al-umur bi-maqasidiha) and the principle of blocking the means to evil (sadd al-dhara'i') Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+2. Criminal law balances justice and deterrence with the encouragement of pardon in retribution cases Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• International Relations and Economics: Peace is the fundamental norm in international affairs, with warfare restricted to self-defense and resisting aggression Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. The economic system charts a middle path between capitalism and socialism by recognizing individual property rights while safeguarding social solidarity through zakat, public-interest expropriation, and curbs on monopolistic harm Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• Governance and Education: Governance rests on justice, equality, and consultation (shura), while education balances material development with moral purification (tazkiyah) Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.

Tolerance in Islam

The second part addresses the concept of tolerance (samahah) and the removal of hardship (raf' al-haraj), citing al-Shatibi's observation that proofs for lifting hardship reach the level of definitive certainty Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. Al-Zuhayli details several practical manifestations:

• Shared Religious Foundations: Islam shares core ethical tenets and belief in God, prophets, and the afterlife with Judaism and Christianity, while maintaining the Quran's confirmatory and guardian role (muhaymin) over earlier revelations Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• Capacity-Based Obligation: Legal burdens are structured according to human ability, accompanied by dispensations (rukhas) during hardship Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.
• Rejection of Fanaticism and Coercion: The text forbids religious and sectarian zealotry (ta'assub), rash declarations of apostasy (takfir), and insults toward other faiths Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. Citing لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ("There is no compulsion in religion"), al-Zuhayli emphasizes that coercion in belief is impermissible, referencing the historian Thomas Walker Arnold's The Preaching of Islam on the absence of forced conversions in Islamic history Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa….
• Extremism versus Legitimate Defense: The work condemns terrorist acts and extremist groups, praising scholarly engagement in Egypt that dismantled militant ideology through reasoned dialogue Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. Al-Zuhayli distinguishes between unlawful violence against peaceful populations and legitimate national resistance against occupation in regions such as Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Chechnya Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1.

Call to Dialogue

The closing section discusses Islam's emphasis on constructive engagement with other civilizations and faith traditions Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. Al-Zuhayli presents dialogue not as a compromise of conviction, but as a Quranic method of uncovering truth through reason and mutual respect Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa…+1. He highlights two explicit Quranic mandates for dialogue: general dialogue with all humanity using wisdom and gracious counsel ( ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ), and specialized engagement with the People of the Book on shared monotheistic ground ( وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ) Wasatiyyat al-Islam wa Sa….