We have made you a moderate nation


By: Faten Sabri

Do not forget your portion of the present world!

During a visit to China, we visited “Window of the World”, a public park established on enormous land areas with monolithic figures of the most distinguished world sites. So, you find for example in one corner a model of the Eiffel Tower, a model of Big Ben in another, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Niagara Falls, etc. In this park, you get a chance to taste Latin food, wear East Asian costumes, and live African traditions. It’s a real breath-taking place.

I was amazed by the place. My children were having fun, and my husband was taking photos. In the middle of my amazement, I recalled a frequent question that came to my mind when I was young. How could we balance between enjoying the pleasures of life and getting to know different cultures, while at the same time winning eternal happiness? Then I remembered the Qur’anic verse: But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your portion of the present world. And do good as Allah has done good to you .  I got very happy afterwards.

A moderate nation: 

The Austrian philosopher Leopold Weiss, who converted from Judaism to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Al Assad, said in his book (Islam at the Crossroads): “Our travel through this world is a necessary, positive part in God's plan. Therefore, human life is of tremendous value, but we must never forget that it is purely instrumental. There is no place in Islam to maximize the material side as it is in the modern West, which says: “My kingdom is of this world alone”, nor is the contempt for life that is being spoken by Christianity: “My kingdom is not of this world”. Islam goes the middle way. The Qur'an teaches us to say: Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good.  Thus, a full appreciation of this world and whatever it offers is not necessarily a handicap for our spiritual endeavors. Material prosperity is desirable, though not a goal in itself. 


Every individual Muslim must regard himself as personally responsible for all happenings around him and strive for the establishment of right and the abolition of wrong at every time and in every direction.


A result for this attitude is to be found in the Qur'anic verse: You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong. ”

The Austrian philosopher continued: “The concern for the spread of Islam was not prompted by the love of domination; it had nothing to do with economic or national self-aggrandizement or with the greed to increase Muslim comforts at other people's cost. It has never meant the coercion of non-believers into the religion of Islam. It has only meant, as it means today, the construction of a global framework for the best possible spiritual development of man. For according to the teachings of Islam, moral knowledge automatically forces moral responsibility upon a man. A mere Platonic discernment between right and wrong, without the urge to promote right and to destroy wrong, is gross immorality in itself. Morality lives and dies with the human endeavor to establish its victory upon the earth.”

The presence of contradictions in some religious concepts is one of the reasons that lead to aversion of religion and drives people towards following science alone. 


One of the main features that drives people towards religion is its balance and moderation, which are apparent in Islam.

The problem in other religions which have been distorted from the correct religion is that they are either: 


-    purely spiritual and call their followers to monasticism and isolation.


-    Totally materialistic.


Do not exceed the limits in your religion:

Extremism, fanaticism and inflexibility are mere features that have been forbidden in the true religion. In various verses, the Qur’an has called for kindness, tolerance in treatment, mercy and forgiveness.

So, by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So, pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].  

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.  

The principle in religion is permissible, with the exception of some enumerated prohibitions that are clearly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and which no one disputes.


O children of Adam, take your adornment [i.e., wear your clothing] at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess, Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e., from] Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?” Say, “They are for those who believed during the life of this world, exclusively [for them] on the Day of Resurrection.” Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know , Say, “My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.  

The religion has considered radicalism and inflexibility without authentic proof as a satanic action that the religion revolts.

O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Verily, he is to you an open enemy, He (Satan) commands you only what is evil and sinful, and that you should say against Allah what you know not.  

Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah. And whoever takes Satan as a protector instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss.  

Allah intends for you ease:

Originally, religion comes to ease a lot of restrictions that people impose on themselves. During pre-Islam ignorance, there were some highly detested practices such as female infanticide, permitting certain types of foods for males while forbidding them on females, prohibiting females from the inheritance. Also, fornication, drinking alcoholic beverages, eating the money of orphans, eating the dead, usury, etc.

Also, we find in some people’s legislation and rules that have been falsely related to religion to force them upon people. This has deviated people from differentiating between the correct religion that meets their innate agreed upon needs and the traditions and customs inherited from ancestors, leading people to replace religion with science.


The correct religion relieves people's suffering and puts rules and legislation that aims to ease their lives.


Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.  


Allah wishes to lighten (the burden) for you and man was created weak.  


...and do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you.  

...and do not throw yourselves into destruction, and do good. Truly, Allah loves the good-doers.  

The Prophet peace be upon him said: Facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings and do not make them run away. 

During the Prophet's time, three men talked among themselves about worship, where one of them said:  I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever. The other said: I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast. The third said, I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever. Prophet Muhammad came to them and said:


Are you the same people who said, so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep, and I also marry women. So, he who does not follow my religious tradition is not from me (not one of my followers). 

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.  

Also, the Prophet peace be upon him said to Abdullah Ibn Amr: 


O Abdullah! I have been informed that you fast during the day and offer prayers all night. Abdullah replied: Yes, O Allah's messenger! The Prophet said: Don't do that; fast for few days and then give it up for few days, offer prayers and also sleep at night, as your body has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you. 


Balance in giving rights:


I recall a funny conversation with a Latin lady who asked me: Is a Muslim woman allowed to wear earrings like other women? I laughed and replied: A Muslim woman is a human who doesn’t differ from any woman, but she understands and knows her rights and obligations and how to arrange her priorities. She can deal with such matters with great moderation in a way the Latin and western woman cannot.

She said: What do you mean?

I replied: The Muslim woman has understood the meaning of the term “privacy” well. So, while she loves her father, brother, son, and husband, she has realized that each type of love is distinguished from the other. She realized that her love for each of them requires her to give each their suitable rights. So, her father requires honor and respect, while her son requires breeding and care. She knows when and how to show her beauty, and she doesn’t appear the same way for all.

I continued: The Muslim woman is free. She has refused to surrender to the whims of others and fashion. She wears what she likes and pleases her Creator. Can’t you see how the western woman has become a captive of fashion?! Suppose style came out this season for women to wear tight pants. In that case, all women will automatically wear them even if they aren’t suitable for their figure or aren’t comfortable wearing them. 

I continued: Doesn’t it scare you how the woman has turned into commodity?! There is almost no commercial without a half-naked woman; this gives an indirect message of the deteriorating value of the woman in this age. 

By covering up her beauty, it’s the woman who is sending a message to the world. A statement that she is a human with value honored by God. People dealing with her must judge her according to her knowledge, beliefs, and ideas, not according to her physical appearance.

She said: That’s strange! This is what is called etiquette.

I told her: Yes! The Muslim woman has understood human nature and has understood that she needs to cover up her body from strangers to keep herself and the society from hurt. I don’t think you could deny that all women who are used to showing off their bodies wish that all women are wearing the head cover when they get old.

She said: That’s 100% correct!

Then I asked her: Have you read about women's death and distortion rates during plastic surgeries? What do you think forced the woman to go through this suffering? It’s this beauty competition that has been forced upon her instead of an intellectual one, and that has made her lose her true value in society and lose her life.

She said: This is a strange philosophy that I have never heard before.

Then she said: Ok well, has Islam given the woman equality with men?

I replied: The Muslim woman is looking for justice, not equality. Equality with the man has made her lose a lot of her power and value.


She asked: And how is that?

I answered: Imagine buying shirts for two of your children who are five and eighteen years old. Equality by buying them the same size would make one of them suffer from not having a shirt that fits him, while justice is that you must purchase a shirt for each one of them but a suitable one, for both to be happy.

I continued: The woman in this age is striving to prove she can achieve all that the man can do, but actually, she is losing her uniqueness and distinguished qualities. God has created her to be able to do what men can’t do. It has been proven that birth pain is one of the most severe types of pains. So, religion honored and compensated her in return by relieving her from the burden of providing living expenses or sharing her private wealth with the man, unlike what happens in western societies. As for men, God has not given them the ability to tolerate the pain of giving birth but had given him the ability to climb mountains, for example.

She said: But I like to climb mountains and I could do it just like men.

I told her: Yes, maybe you can climb a mountain and to work hard, but still it’s you who will give birth and nurse because men couldn’t do that in all cases. So, you will have a double burden that you could have avoided.


There is something that a lot of people don’t realize. If a Muslim woman chose to demand her rights in the United Nations while giving up her rights in Islam, she would lose a lot, because her rights are more in Islam. Islam achieves the integration between the man and the woman in a way that grants happiness for all.


The favor of Islamic civilization:


A Columbian visitor and her work colleague told me one day that they strongly need to worship the one God, but they do not want to let go of the Virgin Mary in their prayers because they do not want to underestimate her rights.

I told them: A Muslim could achieve the balance in worship without underestimating the prophet or the prophet’s mother.

They asked: How?


I answered: A Muslim loves his Creator and gives Him His right in worshipping Him alone. Love for the prophet is by following the way revealed to him by God, and that is by worshipping the One God but not worshipping the prophet himself.


I then asked them: What statements can you not give up in your prayers that include mentioning the Virgin Mary?


The first one replied: God bless Mary and help her.


I told her: That’s true. We say: May God bless the Prophet Muhammad and bless Jesus and Mary as well.

The other one said: We also say: Oh, Mary, help me and bless me.

I said: This is incorrect.

They said: What’s the difference?

I answered: In the first prayer we are asking for Mary, while in the second we are asking from her. We are only allowed to ask from God. So, you could say the first prayer but should stop the second.

They were thrilled because they found out that worshipping God directly won’t make them lose their love to Virgin Mary, and they converted to Islam at once.

We find that many nations and civilizations have failed to achieve this balance. While Christianity has exaggerated in believing in Jesus and his mother by making them Gods, we find out that Moses's followers rejected Jesus as a messenger.

Islam has achieved the required balance by believing in both Jesus and Moses and granting them the respect and appreciation they deserve. The needed balance is achieved by following their right message in worshipping the One God just like how all prophets and messengers worshipped the One God.

The Islamic civilization has dealt with The Creator well and put the relation between Him and His creations in its correct standard. In contrast, other human civilizations have mistreated the way they dealt with their Creator. Some people have worshipped others apart from Him. Other people disbelieved in Him. They have dealt in ways far from what He deserves in Glory and Grace.

A true Muslim doesn’t mix between matters. He knows how to establish a balance between ideologies and sciences, along with differentiating between:


-    Civilization elements, which are represented in the ideological and mental evidence, morals, and ethics.


-    Civil elements, which are represented in scientific discoveries and industrial achievements.


A Muslim deal with them in a framework of faith and morals.


    The Greek civilization believed in God, but denied His oneness and described Him as a god who does not benefit or harm.


    The Persian civilization before Islam worshipped the sun, prostrated to fire and sainted it.


    Hindus stopped worshipping the Creator and worshipped created gods, which are incarnated in the trinity that is composed of the three gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu who preserves the universe and Shiva who destroys the universe.


    Buddhism denied the Creator and worshipped a created god (Buddha).


    The Sabian civilization were people of the book (have divine revelation), but then denied their Lord and worshipped the stars and planets, except for some Muslim monotheistic groups that are mentioned in the Qur’an.


    The civilization of the pharaohs had peaked in monotheism during the time of king Akhenaten. Yet, civilization still symbolized God in some of His creations like the sun, which was the main symbol of God for them. After that, disbelieving in God also reached its peak in the time of Moses peace be upon him when the Pharaoh claimed to be God and the only legislator.


    The Arabic civilization stopped worshipping God, and worshipped idols instead.


    Christianity denied the oneness of God, and worshipped Jesus peace be upon him along with his mother. They believed in the trinity represented in three coeternal consubstantial persons or hypostases, which are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


    The Roman civilization denied the Creator before Christianity and gave partners to Him in Christianity by worshipping idols and symbols of power.


    The Jewish civilization rejected God and chose a god of its own. They also worshipped the calf and gave the Creator human attributes in their book. 


While these civilizations have decayed, the previously explained Christian and Jewish turned into an atheist, communistic and capitalistic civilizations. These two civilizations dealt with God and life based on an ideological and intellectual context is considered backwards-minded, brutal and characterized with immortality. Even though they have reached the peak in civil, industrial, and scientific developments, which are not the basis for assessing a nation's development.


The correct civil development standards that should be used to assess nations depend on mental evidence, and how these nations deal with God, life, man, and the universe. A proper civil development should lead to God's correct way and His relationship with His creations, which puts this relation to its appropriate level. We conclude that the Islamic civilization is the only truly developed civilization, because it merely achieved this required balance.


Islam is a Religion and a State:


Capitalism has given man a free-living method and has claimed that following this path will lead to happiness and satisfaction. But what happened is that man found himself deteriorating in a society classified by class. People either live in extravagant wealth established by unfairness to others, or in poverty and suffering for the moral people.

Communism, on the other hand, cancelled all social classes and tried to establish firm principles. But this caused more poverty and pain, leading to societies that are more revolutionary than others.

As for Islam, it has achieved moderation. It is the moderate nation that has offered humanity a great balanced doctrine praised even by the enemies of Islam. But unfortunately, there are Muslims who haven’t followed Islamic morals properly.

A French diplomat asked me one day about what is considered a contradiction:

He said: I couldn’t understand how could Islam, according to your explanation, be so reasonable at a time when Muslims are living in such randomness which has driven them away from morals and ethics. Isn’t this a contradiction?!

I replied: Where is the contradiction? If your driver made an accident with your luxurious car due to his ignorance of driving rules, would that affect the fact that your vehicle is originally luxurious?

His fellow, who was French with Arab origins, instantly said: Yes, a loser Muslim represents himself. Many people noticed that many non-Muslims behave with Islamic behavior, which led to a saying: We find Islam without Muslims.

Joseph Franz Schacht, a German professor of Arabic and Islam, had extremist thoughts yet still managed to tell the truth regarding his assessment about Islam. He said: “One of the outstanding features of Islam is that it’s a religion and state.  The Sharia law (Muslim law) and the Islamic jurisprudence are characterized by their clear and strong influence on the legal culture that exceeded or contacted it. Their domination is stronger than the states. There have been different types of conflicts between religion and the state throughout history. In Christianity, the conflict was over political power, in which the church had an organized, graduated, and coherent institution that had a head leader. The church law was one of its political weapons. As for Islam, the case was totally different than the church’s case. Islamic law never depended on such organized power. Thus, there has never been a real test for the power between religion and the state. The principle stating that Islam must organize the legal aspects in Muslims’ lives has been kept strong and dominant, with no one defying it.”

One of Schacht's thoughts was: “The civil law is one of the most important gains that Islam has given to the civilized world. This is what is called “Sharia”. It is entirely different than all other laws. Islamic sharia is what clearly distinguishes the Islamic way of life. What distinguishes it is that it looks at all human behavior and their relation amongst each other, including the obligatory actions, or the desirable, the left out, the hated, or the forbidden.”

He also said: “The Islamic legislation has affected all branches of law with the Christians and Jews who lived in Islamic states and have seen the mercy along with forgiveness of the Islamic sharia. The Jew Mousa Ibn-Maimonides (601 Hijri - 1204 AD) was affected by the Islamic compositions while putting the legal materials in Mishnah Torah, an action which no Jew has done before. Also, Jacobins and Monophysites and Nestorians weren’t reluctant to take from the Islamic legislation.”

In his book “observations into the Islamic History”, the Dutch historian Reinhart Dozy said: “Most Christians in the East followed different doctrines. They suffered immensely from persecution under the Constantinople governments. Still, when Islam came with its brotherhood rules and forgiveness, they were left to choose their religion and were protected and treated with equality. After being exhausted by Roman taxes, they were obligated only to pay the “Jizya”  which doesn’t exhaust anyone.”

The state in Islam is not a "religious" state, understood in earlier Western thought. In Islam, there is a cancellation of any infallibility or holiness to humans. It’s a state which has a primary target of serving the people. Islamic legislation doesn’t contradict novelty and civilization. It should be a source of pride in our civilized position in history.

A French atheist asked me one day: Why not separate religion from the state, and let human thoughts and their points of view be included in references, similar to western societies? Along with completely separating religion and people's lives, similar to how it was implemented in French society.

I replied, smiling: You mean references depending on the human’s whims and mood swings? We need godly legislation that suits humans in all their cases and doesn’t change because of inconsistent human thoughts and mood swings, similar to what happened when usury and homosexuality were allowed. We need legislation that isn’t put by the people in power at the expense of the vulnerable like Capitalism, nor do we need communism that opposes the innate human need for possession.

I continued: The French experiment resulted from the dominance and alliance between the church and the state over the people's minds and destiny in the Middle Ages. The Islamic world hasn’t faced this problem at all due to its logical and applicable system.

He said: You don’t acknowledge democracy then.

I said: We have what’s better than democracy. We have Consultancy.

He asked: What’s the difference?


I answered: Democracy is when you consider all family members' opinion no matter their age or how badly their experience would affect the family. During decision making, both views of a kindergarten child and a wise older person would be equal. On the other hand, the consultancy system depends on experienced members' opinions; they get to decide what is beneficial and what isn’t. 


I added: The difference between the two systems is noticeable. A piece of valid evidence that proves the deficiency found in the democratic system is that some countries have given legitimacy to practices that oppose human nature, customs, traditions, and religion, such as  homosexuality, fornication, usury and other abhorrent practices just because such practices have been voted for by the majority. With many voices calling for moral decay, democracy has helped by participating in creating immoral societies.

I continued: The difference between the Islamic Consultancy system and Western Democracy is the source of sovereignty in legislation. In Democracy, the power starts from the people and the nation. As for the Islamic Consultancy system, power starts from the Creator. It’s not the result of human thoughts. Humans can just build upon the godly legislation. Also, they have the right to jurisprudence in whatever’s not included in heavenly legislation, as long as it’s within the religious framework of what’s permitted and forbidden.

He said: The Islamic legislative system is unique. Even though it’s a religious system, it doesn’t contradict reason in any way. It’s an organized, coherent doctrine; its various branches are coherent with one another. But I’m against the punishing penalties in the Qur’an.

I said: These penalties have been put as a deterrent, and to punish those who intend to corrupt the community. As evidence to this, these penalties aren’t implemented on unintended killing or stealing during a famine and extreme need. It’s to protect society, and some are already in French law such as the death penalty.

He asked: Is there truly a death penalty in French law?

I replied: Yes, as well as in many postural law systems in other countries. Imagine that you went home and found your whole family murdered by a person. Then that person was arrested and put in prison for a specific period eating and enjoying the prison facilities you are funding through the taxes you are paying. 

How would you tolerate this?! You will probably either end up going insane or falling into an addiction to forget your pain. If this same situation happened in a country practicing the Islamic legislations, the case would be completely different. The murderer will be brought in front of the family of the murdered. They will decide whether to take revenge through retribution, which is justice itself, or to pay the “Deyaa”, which is the money that the murderer must pay on intentional killing to the family of the murdered, or to give pardon, which is much favored as mentioned in the Qur’an.

But if you pardon (them) and overlook, and forgive (their faults), then verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.  

I continued: There are 6348 verses in the Qur’an, while the verses of penalties are no more than ten, and have been put by One Who is Wise and Well-acquainted with all things. Would you leave reading, enjoying, and practicing this system you consider unique, just because you don’t know the wisdom of ten verses?!

The balance in the economy:

I remember a Latin person interested in economics, once asked me about the difference between the economic system in Islam, capitalism and socialism.

I replied: Concerning the freedom of ownership, the private property is the main principle in capitalism, while in socialism, public property is the main principle.


In Islam, several types of ownership are allowed:

-    The Public Property, which is publicly owned by Muslims, rich lands, for example.


-    The State Property, which is owned by the state. Like for example, natural wealth, that includes forests and minerals.


-    The Private Property, which is acquired only through investment work, in a way that does not threaten the public welfare.

He asked: What about the free economy?


I replied: In capitalism, the free economy has no boundaries. Socialism, on the other hand, completely confiscates free economy.


In Islam, the free economy is acknowledged, but is limited within certain boundaries:


    Self-determination, which emerges from the depths of oneself based on Islamic education, the spread of Islamic concepts in society. 


    Objective determination, which are legislations that forbid certain practices such as usury, gambling, cheating, etc.

He said: Religion is like a drug that oppressed and impoverished people devour to accept suffering and unfairness. Then, they are left to dream about paradise to give the rich people a chance to acquire wealth; this has resulted in the poverty of Muslims and other religious people.

I told him: Never have societies suffered from poverty and social unfairness because of being religiously faithful or lacking in their resources. It was because of people distancing away from religion and unfair resource distribution. Extreme poverty is only the result of outrageous wealth.


In capitalism, it is claimed that natural resources are unable to meet humans' renewable needs; while in socialism, people believe that there is a contradiction existing between the forces of production and distribution relations. 


In Islam, it has been clarified that God has created plenty of natural resources that entirely satisfy human needs without running out. The problem lies in the human misuse of these resources and inequality in distribution.

I continued: Islam has forbidden extravagance. It calls for setting the standards of living at a moderate level; this does not mean that the concept of richness in Islam is limited only to the vital needs. Still, it also includes the possession of food, a home, clothing, the ability to marry, perform the pilgrimage, and to give out charity. I don’t think this is a description of a drug addict.

I added: The real drug addiction in societies is atheism, not religion.

He said: Why?


I replied: Because atheism calls its followers to pure materialism. It causes them to exclude their relation with the Creator by relinquishing duties and responsibilities. It calls for enjoying only the current moment, regardless of the consequences. So, they behave as they wish, believing that there are no sanctions, no resurrection, and no judgement.

Isn’t this the correct description of an addict?

He said: Yes, that’s true.

He then asked: How did Islam achieve social balance?

I answered: One of the general concepts in Islam is that wealth belongs to the Creator. We are only in a subordinate position in our control over this wealth. Islam has forbidden wealth to be only exchanged between the rich. Islam has prohibited treasuring wealth without giving out a small portion to the poor and needy from the person’s savings. Giving out a small amount of the person’s savings is called “Zakat”. This act of worship helps the person overcome being tight-fisted; it helps them become generous and giving.

And what Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns - it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and orphans and the needy and the [stranded] traveler - so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you. And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.   

Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you successive inheritors. For those who have believed among you and spent, there will be a great reward.  

…And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment.  


Also, Islam encourages hardworking for those who are capable.

He it is Who made the earth subservient to you. So, traverse in its tracks and partake of the sustenance He has provided. To Him will you be resurrected.  

Islam has forbidden extravagance. It calls for setting the standards of living at a moderate level; this does not mean that the concept of richness in Islam is limited only to the vital needs. Still, it also includes the possession of food, a home, clothing, the ability to marry, perform the pilgrimage, and to give out charity.

And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate.  

The poor, from an Islamic perspective, is whoever’s incapable of achieving the vital needs. These needs are determined according to the living standards in the country that the person is living in. So, if it’s normal for every family to own a separate home in a certain country, then the family that is incapable of this is considered poor. Thus, the law of balance is based on the ability to satisfy every individual's needs according to what’s known in the community at that time.

Islam ensures meeting the needs of every individual in society; this is achieved through public interdependence. The Muslims are considered brothers; helping each other and meeting each other’s needs is obligatory. 

The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: 

The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim, he doesn't oppress him and doesn't put him into ruin, and whoever is concerned for the needs of his brother, Allah is concerned for his needs, and whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens of the Day of Judgement and whoever covers (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will cover (his faults) on the Day of Judgement .

I recall a beautiful incident with a Colombian visitor. She came to the center with her teenage children and friend. Unfortunately, they arrived late when the working hours were about to end, so I couldn’t answer all her questions. I explained what I could within 15 minutes. I had the feeling that she was hiding something. She came back the next morning with her children only without her friend.


She said: I insist on continuing our conversation because I have some questions keeping me from converting to Islam for years. I want answers to these questions.

I responded: Ask all you wish. I have the whole day to answer your questions.

She said: I met a Muslim friend while travelling with my husband. This friend told me that Muslims don’t need to go to doctors when they get sick because they just pray to God to get well. I wasn’t convinced at all, and that was one of the points that kept me away from accepting this religion. I believe we must follow the underlying causes.

I told her: That’s true. Concerning this point, you, unfortunately, know about Islam more than that Muslim. She needs someone to explain to her our religion. She hasn’t given you the correct information. Islam is a realistic religion. 


Allah Almighty ordered us to rely on Him, and trust His wisdom, but He also forbade us from full dependency without depending on the causes. Reliance includes determination while exerting effort and applying the reasons, then surrendering afterwards to the wisdom of Allah.


The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him saw someone who wanted to leave his camel without being tied, thinking that this is reasonable reliance on Allah. He then told him: 


Tie your camel, then trust Allah ; this is the correct balance.

She was delighted with my explanation. We spent the whole day together, answering her questions. She talked about a time six years ago when her husband, who had no religion, converted to Islam. 


He didn’t have any religious interests; he said that he found answers to all his questions in Islam. He invited her to join Islam, but she was reluctant because she still had many questions. Thanks to Allah, she said that our conversation provided her with answers to all questions.


We conclude that Islam looks at life as it should be. People are looking for a balanced religion that meets their spiritual needs, a religion that is indispensable and at the same time doesn’t marginalize their worldly needs. The religion calls for moderation, which is the concept that has been strictly stressed in the final heavenly religion. This heavenly religion was sent through the final messenger peace be upon him, who came to correct the errors previous nations have made, leading to the distortion of the religion concept by putting it in a spiritual path only. This has resulted in superstitions that have entirely driven people away from religion. Also, religion has been manipulated to achieve personal objectives by being used as an instrument to pressure the people. This has led to many people following secularism, which is a total separation between religion and the state.


Islam has succeeded as a ruling system and a living method, while capitalism and communism have failed. But atheists and agnostics are increasing because many Muslims stray away from their religion; they also fail in spreading the correct Islamic concept. Humanity has started to lose faith in all creed due to the corruption of the religious concepts that are being introduced. Nevertheless, no oriental researcher, no matter what his opinion in Islam is, hasn’t admitted that Islam is a Religion and State.