This research delineates four objective principles in dealing with
extremism. It broadly defines these principles and brings evidence of their
relationship with combatting extremism.
The first of these principles is: “For each difficult situation from which the
Lawgiver (Allah) has made a way out for a person, the intent (objective) of the
Lawgiver is for the person to adopt this way out if he so wishes.”
Second principle: “The way of the Noble Quran in speaking to people is in a soft
and gentle manner, so it is incumbent upon people to follow the manner of Quran in
engaging one another.”
These first two principles help in dealing with the extreme of over-enthusiasm in
religious matters.
The third principle is: “The legal objective behind Shariah (Islamic Law) is to free
a person from compulsively acting on his/her base desires and instincts. So much so
that such a person starts obeying Allah from their own free will just as he/she is also
forced to obey Allah (as legislated).”
Fourth principle: “Whoever wants some ease in Sharia requirements in an illegal
manner, is in fact deprived of this ease and is engulfed by the consequences of these
bad intentions. On the other hand, whoever wants to obtain this ease in a legal manner
is not only successful in his desire, but also reaps the blessings of the good intention
behind it.”
These last two principles will help in dealing with the extreme of laxness and
nonchalance in matters of religion.
This research has three major goals:
1. To introduce the reader to important objective principles which help in dealing
with extremism.
2. To enable the reader in understanding and applying these principles.
3. To enable both reformists in general, and especially legal experts (jurists) in
making use of these principles. Therefore, the practitioners mentioned above will be
able to put these principles to use in application of moderation in lives of individuals
and ridding them of any extremism that may afflict them.