EXTREMISM IN RELIGION

As we approach the 21st century, the rate at which our world is changing and evolving is more profound than before. New discoveries and technological innovations are undeniably creating an impact on our constantly changing society, some subtle while others might be abrupt in nature. The 21st-century mind will need to effectively manage the complexity and diversity of our world by becoming more adaptive and innovative.

The world is now an open market of information with knowledge as its prized commodity. Technology today has a tremendous flow of information, where one may just obtain information through a click of a button.

A recent survey report by Pew Research Centre showed that though there is an increase of people unaffiliated to any religion in Europe, the trend of rising religiosity is taking hold in the Asia-Pacific region.

Religiosity, it seems according to this region, does not go against the concept of progression but in fact, adds value to it, and to some extent promotes it. On the other hand, religion, particularly Islam has also been subjected to a great deal of criticism due to extremism in their view.

It is irrefutable that there are some Muslim extremists, but they are but a small minority. This is similar to how there is extremism in other religions and political movements, including the environmentalists. Extremism is a notion that is denounced and discouraged in Islam. Its manifestation is not a recent phenomenon, but it can be traced back to the time of the Prophet Nuh. The Muslims believe that the first community that worshipped idols are the people of Nuh. This occurs due to the extremism in elevating a group of righteous people to a state of “godliness”.

Allah the Almighty revealed:

"They (idolaters) have said, 'You shall not leave your gods nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth, nor Ya'uq nor Nasr.' (Al-Qu'ran 71:23)

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

All the idols which were worshiped by the people of Noah were worshiped by the Arabs later on. As for the idol Wadd, it was worshiped by the tribe of Kalb at Daumat-al-Jandal; Suwa` was the idol of (the tribe of) Hudhail; Yaghouth was worshiped by (the tribe of) Murad and then by Bani Ghutaif at Al-Jurf near Saba; Ya`uq was the idol of Hamdan, and Nasr was the idol of Himyar, the branch of Dhi-al-Kala`. The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people to (prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not worshiped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshiping them. (HR Bukhari)

According to the muslims, this is the birth of idolism which is denounce in Islam and it takes it roots from a form of extremism in exaltation of a certain group of people.

Another form of extremism that is frown upon in islam, is the self-imposing burdens that goes against the nature of worship itself. Once Prophet Muhammad saw a man that has gone out of his way in worshiping God, upon which he was reprimanded as it goes against the nature of Islam itself.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

While the Prophet was delivering a sermon, he saw a man standing, so he asked about that man. They (the people) said, "It is Abu Israil who has vowed that he will stand and never sit down, and he will never come in the shade, nor speak to anybody, and will fast.'' The Prophet said, "Order him to speak and let him come in the shade, and make him sit down, but let him complete his fast." (HR Bukhari)

Practical extremism would often manifest itself to be justifiable after going through a series of repetition by various individuals in the society. It stems out not from the Islamic principles, but rather, from the misconceptions, misplace emotional attachments and personal agendas of a particular individual or group. This form of extremism, which gave rise to bloodshed, is an ideological extremism and has its root from the time of the Prophet’s companion, Caliph Ali.

During the battle of Siffin, which occurs between the followers of Caliph Ali and Muawiyyah, the governor of Egypt saw the emergence of sectarianism, and in particularly, the birth of Kharijites.

Some of the extreme view hold by the Kharijites would include the concept of jihad, takfir and al wala wal bara.

All of these concept shall be explained in this website, in our attempt in explaning the true notion of each concept as understood by the accredited religious scholars of Islam.

The shortcomings of the extremists’ ideational structure are the failure to realise the key and fundamental principles of Islam.

PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM THAT GO AGAINST EXTREMISM