In Islam, ''wasat'' (moderation) is one of the most basic terms and deliberately used topics. In the sense of
shariah
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
, it is a central characteristic of Islamic creed and has been used from the very beginning of Islam. It refers to a justly balanced way of life, avoiding extremes and experiencing things in moderation.
Etymology
''Wasat'', also called ''wasatiyyah'' () is the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
word for ''best'', ''middle'', ''centered'', ''balanced'', ''middle way'' or ''moderation''
[ in the Islamic context, meanwhile ''Qasd'']
قصد
and ''Iqtisad''
اقتصاد
are other terms for moderation in Islam, which mean "right way," "middle way," and "honest, truthful way."[ The term is also used in the Qur'an and Hadith to mean moderation. For example: Surah Nahl (16) in verse 9, Surah Ma'idah (5) in verse 66, Surah Tawba (9) in verse 42, Surah Luqman (31) in verse 19 and 32, and Surah Fatir (35) in verse 32. The person who follows wasat/qasd is called ''wasati/wasiti'/Muqsidin'. In addition, the words Ittidal and Saddad also appear in the Hadith in the sense of moderation, the word Saddad (السداد) is used more often, and it has multiple meanings, namely, to correct, to straighten, to pay a debt, to close a hole, to perform an action, etc. Its noun form Tasdeed (التسديد) literally means refinement, directing the sight (or binoculars) in a certain direction. In many places in the hadith, the word "Saddidu wa Qaribu" (سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا) is found which translates as "straightening the right path or adopting the middle path and approaching", and also as an instruction to the imam and khatib to straighten the queue of congregational prayers or prayers. The word is used, and when straightening a prayer queue in Non-Arab countries, it is used as a translation of the original Arabic word to straighten the queue, fill in the blanks, and come closer.
]
In scripture
In Quran
As Wasat
As Qasd
In hadiths
As wasat
In a hadith, Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
is purported as saying that, the meaning of wasat (moderation) in verse 2:143 of Quran is adl (justice).
As sadad, qasd or iqtisad, and ittidal
In popular culture
A newspaper in Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
is named ''Al-Wasat'' ('the middle') for its editorial viewpoint of "Promoting the rational middle-ground in debate and tendencies."
See also
* Wasatiyyah Institute Malaysia, a Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
preaching moderate Islam.
* Al-Wasat Party
The al-Wasat Party ( ar-at, حزب الوسط, Hizb al-Wasat), translated in English as the Center Party, is a moderate Islamist political party in Egypt.
The party withdrew from the Anti-Coup Alliance on 28 August 2014. A court case was broug ...
, a moderate ('middle') political party in Egypt
* Al-Wasat (Bahraini newspaper)
''Al-Wasat'' (), also ''Alwasat'', was an Arabic-language daily newspaper in Manama, Bahrain. ''Al-Wasat'' was generally regarded as the only independent newspaper in Bahrain. The newspaper ran for 15 years, during which is provided reporting un ...
* Delta Geminorum
Delta Geminorum (δ Geminorum, abbreviated Delta Gem, δ Gem), formally named Wasat , is a triple star system in the constellation of Gemini.
Nomenclature
''δ Geminorum'' ( Latinised to ''Delta Geminorum'') is the system's Bayer desig ...
, a star also known by its Arabic name, ''Wasat'', for middle (star)
* Islam Nusantara
Islam Nusantara or Indonesian (Islamic) model is a term used to refer to the empirical form of Islam that was developed in the Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago). This term was introduced and promoted by the Indonesian Islamic organization Nahdla ...
, an Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
distinct Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (literally: "philosophy"), which refers to philosophy as well as logic, ...
that promotes the idea of theological moderation called ''tawasut'' within its ideology.
* Centrism, a political ideology
* Lagom
''Lagom'' (pronounced , ) is a Swedish word meaning "just the right amount" or "not too much, not too little".
The word can be variously translated as "in moderation", "in balance", "perfect-simple", "just enough", "ideal" and "suitable" (in mat ...
, a Swedish concept with similar meaning
* Liberalism and progressivism within Islam
* Moderate Islam
Moderate Islam and ''moderate Muslim'' are labels that are used within counterterrorism discourse as the complement of "Islamic extremism" and imply that supporting Islamic terrorism is the characteristic of a "radical" faction within Islam, and a ...
, a modern moderate denomination of Islam
* Moderation
Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. Common uses of moderation include:
*Ensuring consistency and accuracy in the marking of stud ...
, the process of eliminating or lessening extremes.
* The Moderation in Belief
Al-Iqtisād fī al-iʿtiqad (), or The Moderation in Belief is a major theological work by Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazali. George Hourani indicated that the ''Iqtisad'' and ''Mizan al-amal'' were completed before or during
Gha ...
, book by Al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111; ), full name (), and known in Persian-speaking countries as Imam Muhammad-i Ghazali (Persian: امام محمد غزالی) or in Medieval Europe by the Latinized as Algazelus or Algazel, was a Persian poly ...
* Moderate
Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
, a middle position in a left/right political scale
* Via media
''Via media'' is a Latin phrase meaning "the middle road" and is a philosophical maxim for life which advocates moderation in all thoughts and actions.
Originating from the Delphic Maxim ''nothing to excess'' and subsequent Ancient Greek philoso ...
, the philosophy of the 'middle way'
References
{{Authority control
Islamic terminology
Liberal and progressive movements within Islam