Examples of the Middle Path of Islam as Compared To Other Religions
Ibn Taymiyyah said:
Islam is the middle path among other nations that oppose one another; the path of the Sunnah within Islam is like the path of Islam compared to other religions. With regard to the attributes of Allah ' the Muslims are in the middle between the Jews who likened the Creator to His creation and ascribed to the Creator attributes that belong only to created beings and that are attributes of imperfection, and they said that Allah is poor and stingy, and that Allah got tired when He created the universe, so He rested; and between the Christians who likened the created being to the Creator, and they ascribed to him (Jesus) attributes that belong only to the Creator, and they said that he was God.
But the Muslims ascribed to the Creator the attributes of perfection and they declared Him to be above all attributes of imperfection; they declared Him to be above having any
equal in any of those attributes of perfection. So He is above having any attributes of imperfection at all, and with regard to the attributes of perfection, none of His creation can be like Him in that.
The Muslims are also the ones who took a moderate approach with regard to the Prophets. The Jews were as Allah says,
"Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some, you disbelieved and some, you killed." [al-Baqarah 2:87]
they used to kill the Prophets and kill those who enjoined justice.
The Christians exaggerated, so they made the Prophets, and those who were lower than them in status, partners with Allah. Allah says concerning them:
"They Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they Oews and Christians) were commanded (in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) to worship none but One Ilaah (God - Allah) La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him, (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)." [at-Tawbah 9:31]
The Muslims believe in all of the Prophets and do not differentiate between any of them; belief in all the Prophets is obligatory and anyone who disbelieves in one of them has
disbelieved in all of them. Anyone who reviles any of the Prophets is a kaafir who is to be sentenced to death according to scholarly consensus; there is a difference of opinion as to whether he should be asked to repent. Allah says:
"Say (0 Muslims), 'We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to lbraaheem (Abraham), Isma'eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob Jacob), and to Al-Asbaat (the twelve sons of Ya'qoob Jacob)), and that which has been given to Moosa (Moses) and 'Eesa Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)."' [al-Baqarah 2:136]
" ... but Al-Birr [(piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.)] is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, [and] the Prophets." [al-Baqarah 2:177]
"The Messenger (Muhammad SAW) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, 'We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers' - and they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).' Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned." [al-Baqarah 2:285-286]
In as-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet said:
"Whoever recites the two verses at the end of Soorat al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him. "(Narrated by al-Bukhari, Kitaab al-Maghaazi; Muslim, Kitaab Salaat al-Musaafireen wa Qasruha, from the hadeeth of Abu Mas'ood al-Ansaari)
It is proven in as-Saheeh that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the two rak'ahs of Fajr: "Qul ya ayyuha'l-kaafiroon (Say (0 Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to these Mushrikoon and Kafiroon) : 'O Al-Kafiroon (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar, etc.))" [al-Kaaftroon 109] and "Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad (Say (0 Muhammad (Peace be upon him)): "He is Allah, (the) One) }. [al-Ikhlaas 112] (Narrated by Muslim, Kitaab Salaat al-Musaafireen, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah)
Sometimes he would recite in the first rak' ah the verse of faith in Surat al-Baqarah: "Say (0 Muslims), 'We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us" [al-Baqarah 2:136] and in the second rak'ah the verse of Islam in Soorat Aal 'Imraan: "Say (0 Muhammad SAW): 'O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turn away, say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.111 [Aal 'Imraan 3:64]. (Narrated by Muslim, Kitaab Salaat al-Musaafireen, from the hadeeth of Ibn ' Abbaas)]
The Muslims also follow a middle path with regard to abrogation. The Jews said: The Lord of the Worlds cannot issue a decree contrary to what He previously decreed; and
the Christians allowed their religious leaders to alter the laws brought by the Messiah, so they regarded as permissible whatever they wanted and they regarded as forbidden
whatever they wanted. As for the Muslims, they said: "The Lord of the Worlds decrees whatever He Wills; Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment (cf. 7:54)." No one has the right to change His religion or alter His laws; rather He introduces whatever He wills of decrees and he abrogates whatever He wills.
Similarly, with regard to rules and regulations such as what is permissible and what is forbidden, the Jews were forbidden things that were good and had previously been
permitted to them, as a punishment; stringent conditions were imposed on them with regard to impurities, so they have to avoid a lot of things that are pure in addition to avoiding impurities. The Christians do not regard as forbidden that which Allah and His Messenger forbade; rather they regard impure things as permissible and they do not take care to avoid impurities. The more a monk shows that he does not care about avoiding impurities and unclean things, the better he is in their sight. As for the Muslims, Allah permitted to them good, pure things and He forbade to them bad, impure things; they follow a middle path in all things, but this is not the place to discuss this matter in detail.