THE PATH OF MODERATION

The Prophet of Islam said: “The best of actions are those in moderation.” (Shu’ab al-Iman by al-Bayhaqi, Hadith No. 6229)

A statement attributed to ‘Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam, also says: “Follow the middle path.” (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 2, p. 154)

By “moderate action” is meant a balanced and well-measured approach. One example of this in the Quran is the verse: “Be neither miserly, nor so open-handed that you suffer reproach and become destitute.” (17:29)

Elsewhere, the Quran states: “They are those who are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but keep a balance between the two.” (25:67)

According to this verse, moderation in spending involves avoiding both excess and miserliness, and instead managing one’s expenditures within their means in a balanced manner. The same principle applies to voluntary fasting, prayer, and other religious practices—one should adopt a pace they can maintain over time.

This balanced approach applies to all areas of life. In every matter, one should avoid extremes. The right way is to adopt a middle ground between excess and deficiency. This approach aligns with the spirit of religious values and leads to success.

In other words, the moderate path is a non-emotional path. When someone reacts impulsively in any situation, they are no longer balanced. They swing toward one extreme or another. But when a person controls their emotions, they are able to act with reflection—and thoughtful action is always moderate action.

An imbalanced person will exceed limits in both friendship and hostility. At times, they will become overly optimistic, and at other times, overly pessimistic. They will judge someone as extremely good without reason, or as extremely bad without fairness. But in the system of life, as designed by God, it is always the moderate person who succeeds, while the one who lacks moderation ends up in failure.