Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, ''wasat'' (moderation) is one of the most basic terms and deliberately used topics. In the sense of

shariah Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...

, 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 Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

word for ''best'', ''middle'', ''centered'', ''balanced'', ''middle way'' or ''moderation'' in the

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

context, meanwhile ''Qasd'' and ''Iqtisad'' are other terms for moderation in Islam, which mean "right way," "middle way," and "honest, truthful way."

In scripture

In Quran

As Wasat

Bangladeshi Islamic scholar Abdul Hi Muhammad Saifullah said, there are 286 verses in Surah Baqarah of the Quran, it is 143 if divided by 2, Surah Baqarah verse 143 contains the word moderation (wasat(-an)), which is a miracle of the Quran.

In hadiths

As wasat

In a hadith, Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

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

References

{{Authority control Islamic terminology Liberal and progressive movements within Islam