Immoderation: A Comprehensive Islamic Study

All praise be to Allah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

Immoderation is one of people's responses to the calls of Allah's messengers. People are divided into:
1. Those who adhere to the truth and take the right path.
2. Those who deviate and neglect the orders of Allah.
3. Those who overstep the bounds of Allah.
The three types were found in nations before that of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and they were in his nation as well. The immoderation in this Nation is of two types:

1. The General Dogmatic Immoderation: This is related to the fundamentals of Islamic Shari'ah and its main issues. This type of immoderation is more dangerous than the partial practicable immoderation, as it goes beyond the deeds of man to include his view of creation. This is what causes dissension.

2. The Partial Practicable Immoderation: This is related to one or more of the practiced deeds in Islamic Shari'ah, whether they are said or done such as offering the optional night prayer.

The problem of immoderation has become one of the main problems of the modern age. It is an issue that preoccupies the minds of the enemies of Islam as well as Muslims. Here are some aspects related to this issue:

- The rulers of almost all the countries in the world are interested in this problem and give it a place in their announcements and closing statements of meetings and conferences.
- There are many books, compilations, articles and seminars discussing this problem.
- The news about acts of immoderation heads the news bulletins, newspapers and magazines. It became a complex problem and it is not about immoderate people now but the issue is broader due to the following reasons:

1. Universality of the Problem: Immoderation is one of the prominent features of this age. There are groups committing immoderate actions in almost every country and civilization. The nature of each group differs according to the civilization it lives in or the religion its members embrace. Universality can also mean that modern mass media transmit local (terrorist) attacks to the whole world, allowing the whole world to see the incident at its time of occurrence.
2. Loss of the real meaning of Immoderation: The concept of immoderation is relative and each group sees it its own way. As for the international level, the term is lost in vagueness.
3. Complexity and overlapping of the problem's manifestations and reasons: What increases the problem in the modern age is the multiplicity of the problem's manifestations, reasons and means. The problem now does not have just one or two manifestations but they are numerous and varied. The same thing is said about the reasons of the problem which vary and overlap to lead to the contemporary problem. Discussing the problem needs to broaden the study to include all the reasons and manifestations.
4. Different people discussing the problem: The problem nowadays is subject to conflicting ideas expressing the views of their writers who have varying intellects, sources of knowledge and ideologies. Discussing immoderation or "terrorism" became the way to achieve many worldly gains. All of these aspects increased the complexity of the problem, vagueness of the term and taking the right decision.
5. People splitting to overestimating and underestimating: Overestimating the problem makes the study loose the correct view just as underestimating it does. When we do not deal with similar issues with neutrality, the problem increases and our bias look becomes part of the problem. This shows that the problem is not just immoderation but it is the unjust look to it. Another problem is those who do not have knowledge to discuss the problem. A third problem is taking immoderation as an excuse to fight Islam. A fourth problem is people divided between those who overestimate and those who underestimate it.
6. The problem is related to other problems.
In order to study immoderation accurately, we need to ascertain its terminology, as they play a vital role in studying the intellectual and social manifestations of the problem.

Ascertaining the Terminology

Different terminology are the tools used in the cultural and intellectual wars, whether between nations and civilizations or inside the same nation. The enemies of any concept or idea use words and terms to fight other concepts. There are two terms - that refer to a certain state in the western history - which were transferred to the Islamic world with much ambiguity and confusion. The media and cultural arenas witness the emergence of many terms related to immoderation, the most famous two being "Fundamentalism" and "Terrorism". The term "Immoderation" itself is spreading with the prevailing events and their nature. We have not witnessed a time when the term is so often repeated like the modern age, as it has become a universal term and a criterion for differentiating between countries and organizations. The term "Terrorism" is controversial and although the issue has a legal angle and is by nature definite but it has turned to become a universal issue. The use of the term "terrorism" became a type of intellectual threat. I have gathered many definitions for the term "terrorism" by official and academic authorities all over the world and I have noted the following:
1. Obscurity and vagueness of the term.
2. Variance in determining its exact meaning.
3. Multiplicity of definitions.
4. Relativity of definitions which carry a wide range of meanings.
5. Lack of a criterion.
6. Inability of the term to cover all the meanings of the term.
The most famous Islamic term related to this type of deviation is immoderation which is the subject of this discussion. After studying the texts forbidding immoderation, those dealing with some of its issues and those stipulating that religion is characterized by leniency and ease, we discover that:
1. Immoderation can be related to the jurisprudence of texts in two ways:
- Inflexibility in interpreting texts.
- Deliberately delving deep in the meanings of revealed texts.
2. Immoderation can be related to judgments such as:
- Binding oneself or others to what Allah has not obligated, as a means of worship.
- Prohibiting lawful matters as a means of worship.
- Abstaining from obligations or some of them.
3. Immoderation can be related to one's attitude from others such as:
- Praising someone to the extent of considering this individual or group infallible and the source of the truth.
- Dispraising some individuals or groups and accusing them of disbelief and apostasy or accusing the Muslim community of reverting to the pre-Islamic era ideas.
Scholars exerted their efforts to define the word "immoderation" in the most precise forms. Here are some of these definitions:
1. The scholar of Islam, Ibn Taimiyah (may Allah be merciful to him) said: "Immoderation: is exceeding the limits in anything whether in praising or dispraising and the like of that." Sheikh Sulaiman ibn 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahab (may Allah be merciful to all of them) said a similar definition.
2. Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah be merciful to him) defined it as: "overstating something and exceeding its bounds."

Related Notes

In the light of these definitions, we note that:
1. Immoderation in reality is a reaction towards juristic judgments and divine orders but this reaction exceeds the boundaries set by the legislator.
2. Immoderation does not always involve doing something, but it can involve abandoning it.
3. Attributing immoderation to religion in the term "religious immoderation" is correct, as immoderation describes the way of acting and not religion itself.
4. Deeming an act as immoderate needs a careful study of the act. It might be deemed as immoderate while it is not because the way leading to it is the immoderate and this causes confusion.
5. Seeking perfection in doing acts of worship is not immoderation but overburdening the soul to the extent of boredom is.
Nature and Magnitude of the Immoderation Problem: Understanding the nature of the problem is an important start to assess the problem and deal with it in all times. Without this knowledge, the researcher studying the problem will stumble and indeed many mistakes done by researchers were caused by lack of understanding for its real nature. Here are the questions whose answers cover the nature of immoderation in modern age:
1. Is it a problem of acting or reacting?
2. Is it a transitional or a permanent problem?
3. Is it an educational social problem or a political one or is it wider than that?
4. Is it a local or universal problem?
5. Does the problem emerge from the society or is it imported from outside?
6. Is it an individual or a collective problem?
I will try to answer all of these questions to explain the nature of immoderation in the modern life of Muslims.
First: Is it a problem of acting or reacting? Immoderation in its origin is a behavioral response that affects the human behavior as a result of a number of inner factors related to the individual's psyche and outer factors related to the environment in general; dogmatic, cultural, social, economic…etc. Usually immoderation occurs in disordered environments and times. It is a reaction more than an action.
Throughout history, immoderation appeared at times of crises and disorders. It did not appear during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Companions and the times of the just rulers. Any cases of immoderation that appeared during their times were responses to wrong situations according to the immoderate view. We are not trying to find excuses for the immoderate or justify what they did, as they have the ability to be immoderate. They are not well acquainted with the Shari'ah of Allah or with the methodology adopted in interpreting the legislator's texts and do not get their information from knowledgeable people. They are thus prone to be immoderate and are ready to embrace the extreme way of thinking. There are two aspects of the problem:
1. There must be actions that lead to having these reactions.
2. The immoderate people are basically prone to be immoderate.
Lack of understanding these two aspects of the problem makes it hard to grasp the problem and in turn deal with it. Almost all researchers interested in this problem agree that immoderation in the modern age is a reaction.

Second: Is it a transitional or a permanent problem? The researcher thinks that to answer this question one must draw a line between individuals and nations. According to individuals, immoderation is a transitional problem in most cases while according to nations, it is a permanent problem. For nations in general, immoderation is a permanent state that increases or decreases according to the intensity of its factors. There was no time without immoderate people and reviewing history from the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the proof.

Third: Is it a local or universal problem? It is not a local problem limited to one country. Rather it has become a universal problem including all the countries in the Islamic World. It is a pressing problem in many of the Islamic Countries which vary in its degree, for it is more dangerous in some countries than others. This is due to the intensity of the causes of the problem in each country. Our Country is not so much different from other countries, for it suffers from immoderation just like the whole world does in the modern time. This points out that the common universal factors are more prominent in causing immoderation than stressing on the local factors. Although it is a universal problem, it bears great injustice.

Fourth: Does the problem emerge from the society or is it imported from outside? This is the most recurrent question posed by thinkers and in articles published after certain immoderate incidents. People are of two opinions:
One: Those who say it is imported from outside and usually they are people who wish to clear the society and its establishment from the accusation.
Second: Those who say it emerges from the society and go further by saying the society exports it to others. This is the opinion of those willing to condemn the society and its establishments or its educational curriculums. I believe that most of the articles dealing with this problem were not the result of scientific studies as much as they were impressions from previous incidents. The solution to this problem lies in conducting scientific studies to determine the sources, causes and factors of the problem, as discovering the causes reveals the real reason of the problem.

Fifth: Is it an individual or a collective problem? Studying the different types of immoderation shows it is of two types:
1. A general dogmatic immoderation.
2. A partial practicable immoderation.
This shows that immoderation can either be an individual or a collective problem based on its type. If it is the general dogmatic type, it will be collective and if it is the partial practicable type, it will be an individual problem which is the prevailing case.

Sixth: Is it an educational social problem or a political one? or is it wider than that? Some articles try to confine the problem to some educational reasons while others say it is an entity problem and a cultural struggle. Another refers the problem to psychological aspects or other aspects. The truth is that immoderation has different reasons, as it is not a mono-dimensional problem. There are various aspects that lead to it and it has many results and is not dependant on just one aspect.

Seventh: What is the problem's real magnitude? If we wish to study the real magnitude of immoderation and whether it is increasing or decreasing, we need to study two aspects:
One: The Quantity which is the number of immoderate groups or individuals and the number of the incidents related to them.
Two: The Quality which is the type of immoderation and its intensity. There is a link between the concept of immoderation and its magnitude, for those who study the broad meaning of the concept consider steadfastness to religion a form of immoderation while those who are immoderate think they are being moderate. Another problem is that researchers do not have documented statistics of the immoderate individuals and groups.

Reasons of Immoderation: Allah made for every action a reason and every phenomena or problem that faces people must have some reasons. This is the nature of everything Allah created in the universe, although He is capable of finding things for no reason, as He is the Creator and the finder of causes and creatures. Immoderation is one of the problems that have reasons and causes. The reasons of immoderation can be defined as the factors leading to originating a state of immoderation or to increasing an already found state, whether it is related to an inner aspect of the individual or a group or to the surrounding environment. We have to be careful when studying the reasons of immoderation lest we may fall in one of these two mistakes:
First: Studying the reasons may be a means to justifying immoderation and finding excuses for the immoderate people. This justifying method leads to nothing but more immoderation and make the immoderate people hold others responsible for his crime. Many of those who discussed contemporary issues such as cases of bombings referred them to some universal events and considered them to be the reason. This method underestimates the problem and someone may even depend on these justifications as proofs to convince or attract more immoderate people. If the incident or event is mentioned as a justification for immoderation, this will lead to two things:
1. The immoderate person – who is ignorant and unjust - will not regard the incident as unlawful. Nowadays there are many cases of misleading people into thinking they are right due to their ignorance. Some immoderate people depend on these views to deem others as disbelievers, kill or bomb them.
2. The cause may be wrong indeed but this does not entail responding with a wrong action. If someone insults another or fights with him, this does not entail killing him and the insult is not an enough excuse for killing. We have already mentioned some causes and factors that lead to immoderation but they are not excuses for the action. We are just stating facts to be able to solve the problem effectively.
Second: Stating the reasons may not be for self reproof and accusation for the society. Many writers discussing the reasons of immoderation escalate the matter and accuse the whole society, clearing the name of the immoderate persons as being victims. They criticize the establishments of the society in general and without a clear scientific basis. It is as if the immoderate person who bombs others is the product of others. This view of the society and nation is injustice and it clears the immoderate from guilt. Knowing the reasons of the problem is important in solving it and it is easy to find out the reasons based on a scientific approach through the following means:
1. Reading the publications of the immoderate people and trying to deduce the reasons that led them to embracing these extreme ideas. Reading the lines or reading between the lines shows the things that provoked the immoderate writer, whether they were just or unjust reasons. One records these observations and compares them to those of other writers to know the effect of certain reasons on them. Studying the writings of extremists facilitates discovering the ideological backgrounds that led to this problem or its causes. These writings are the richest source of the reasons and causes of the problem.
2. Historical study of similar problems inside the Muslim communities in the past and present. This is useful in two ways:
One: Discovering the ideological reasons leading to immoderation.
Two: Discovering the circumstances underlying this deviated behavior.
3. Studying the history of immoderate individuals and groups since their beginning, tracing their development and historical ups and downs and studying their writings to know their intellectual and scientific fluctuations.
4. Studying the similar phenomena in non-Muslim communities in the past and present to know the general common reasons between the two in their inclination to immoderation and hostility.
5. Studying the general historical context of the problem.
6. Studying the general social reality.
7. Looking at the serious writings that studied the problem or solved some of its aspects.
8. Studying the psychological nature of those accused of immoderation or who are inclined to it.
This shows that defining the reasons of the problem is scientific job that needs dedicated specialists to study the problem, put hypotheses and test them. Things should not be taken at face value. Defining the reasons must go through two main phases:
First: Gathering the preliminary data, opinions and suggestions related to the reasons of the problem.
Second: Studying the reasons and trying to verify their true effect and its amount. In order to determine the method used in studying the problem, we assert certain points:
Point One: The problem of immoderation and the similar complex problems cannot be referred to one reason since it is complex and has many aspects. This means that diagnosing the problem, stating its reasons and finding the ways of solving them should not be limited to one aspect no matter how important it seemed.
Point Two: The reasons of immoderation are varied in their effects and we cannot say that they affect equally on individuals or societies. The reasons are varied according to:
1. Societies where the problem appears and its effect.
2. Individuals where the problem appears and its effect.
3. Historical periods.
4. The source.
Point Three: Reasons can be of two types:
1. Main reasons.
2. Direct reasons.
The main reasons are the source of the problem and they keep on feeding it and supplying it with ideas. They are usually related to the scientific and intellectual aspects or the general state. On the other side, the direct reasons instigate the action and they are a representation of the main reasons deeply rooted in society.
Point Four: Those who discuss the problem in their articles and present its reasons are of two types:
The first: are those who limit themselves to one or two reasons and claim they are the only reasons of the problem.
The Second: are those who discuss all the possible reasons. Limiting oneself to only one reason is not wise, as problems and phenomena that occur to humans do not have a single reason. As for discussing all the reasons, this is not possible since the ways of deviation are not basically limited.
Point Five: The reasons of immoderation may lead to immoderation or not.
Point Six: Trying to find out the reasons of the problem may be fruitful or futile according to several things. One: Determining the exact reason. Two: Measuring the estimated effect of a certain reason. A certain thing may be a reason of the problem but it is not that effective.
Point Seven: After finding out the reasons, we will discover their diversity of subjects and will need further search and study.
Point Eight: After studying the reasons of the problem that immoderation in religion – like any other phenomenon related to people and religions – is a dogmatic problem with multi-dimensions. There are many differences between those accused of immoderation, which entails setting different criterions.
Point Nine: Mentioning the situations and circumstances that cause immoderation does not mean they affect only the immoderate people but they affect everyone. Righteous people call the nation to holdfast to its religion. There was a difference in two matters that differentiate the immoderate people from others. One: understanding the situation that needs to be changed. Two: understanding the means of change by defining them and acting accordingly.
This shows our dire need to ascertain the method of studying the problem, as people differ in their methods of analyzing historical events, cults and theories. They differ in their description, in linking between the different parts of the problem, in analyzing the reasons and in determining the results of the previous things.

Methodological Mistakes

After studying the reasons of immoderation and reviewing publications in this field, I noticed a number of methodological mistakes done by some writers. They are:
1. The superficial study of reasons, attributing the problem to one reason and escaping the serious study of the problem. Someone for example may claim that the problem is due to a mental disorder. Some writings were superficial in presenting the matter which could deceive the ignorant, as claiming that our educational curriculums were the reason behind immoderation. These curriculums have educated millions throughout the years but they did not revert to immoderation.
2. Embracing an idea or opinion and judging immoderation based on it. One either studies the nature and manifestations of the problem from his point of view and thus overburdens them or studies the reasons of the problem and concentrates on what agrees with the opinion he embraces.
3. Ill wills and intentions: I noticed that studying the problem of immoderation underlies many bad intentions and personal inclinations. It is even related to the cultural struggle between nations.
4. Depending on quoting from others without really studying the articles and books of immoderate people or those interested in it or seeking assistance from specialists who know the nature of the problem.
5. Either going too far in sectioning the problem or generalizing it: The problem of immoderation has many aspects that can be studied. There are the immoderate groups and the immoderate manifestations. Researchers commit a mistake of either over-sectioning or over-generalizing the problem.
6. Underestimating the reasons or the problem in general. We were shocked to hear about the bombings which are a grievous crime but we were equally shocked to hear or read the opinions of some of our sons. Their opinion is equal in deviation to the action of the immoderate. This reminds us of the gravity of immoderation, as discussing it is as tricky as walking in a mine field. The matter is best left to specialists who depend on studies and discussions in an effort toward reformation which is the main aim of our rulers (may Allah reward them). I wish to list a number of the reasons leading to immoderation which help in causing the problem. Here are some of the reasons with a concise explanation:
First: Reasons related to ignorance:
1. Ignorance of the Glorious Qur'an.
2. Ignorance of the Sunnah.
3. Ignorance of the course of the righteous predecessors.
4. Ignorance of the objectives of Islamic Shari'ah.
5. Ignorance of the Divine established laws.
6. Ignorance of the reality of faith and its relation to deeds.
7. Ignorance of the ranks of ordinances.
8. Ignorance of the ranks of people.
9. Ignorance of the Arabic language.
10. Ignorance of history.
Second: Reasons related to the scientific method:
1. Turning away from scholars.
2. Interpretation and distortion of texts.
3. Depending on unclear Ayahs.
4. Lack of depending on many proofs.
5. Taking the text directly and interpreting it literally.
6. Practicing Ijtihad (discretion) without enough qualifications.
7. Giving much attention to hadiths of trials.
Third: Reasons related to the application:
1. Hastiness.
2. Fanaticism.
3. Lack of regard for people's circumstances and excuses.
Fourth: Psychological reasons:
1. Lack of adjustment.
2. Lack of satisfaction for the human needs.
3. Psychological and behavioral disorders.
4. Emotional disorders.
5. Nature of the leading character or leader.
Fifth: Educational reasons:
1. Impatience.
2. Despair.
3. Enthusiasm of the youth.
4. Following whims.
5. Disputes.
6. Confusion in the educational curriculums.
Sixth: Social reasons:
1. Judging by that which Allah has not revealed.
2. Dogmatic corruption.
3. Abandoning commanding good and forbidding evil.
4. Confusion in the ruler-ruled relation.
5. Accusing, mocking and slandering under the name of religion.
6. Violence and torture.
7. Economic imbalance.
8. Absence of the scholars' roles.
9. Loss of identity.
10. Spread of secularism in many Islamic communities.
11. Corruption of many means of control and directing.
12. Lack of counseling.
13. Political and military defeats.
Seventh: Universal reasons:
1. Worldwide conspiracy against Islam.
2. Fall of the Ottoman State (the caliphate).
Solution of the immoderation problem: After studying the Islamic texts and the interpretations of scholars and after studying how the predecessors (may Allah be merciful to them) have dealt with the problem of immoderation, it appears to the researcher there are certain criterions that must be taken into account and be applied. Those who try to solve the problem fall in error because they do not take these criterions into consideration.
First: To Define Immoderation, Refer back to Islamic Shari'ah:
In order to discover the true nature of immoderation, we must refer back to the texts of Shari'ah which show that immoderation means exceeding the proper limits.
To judge an act or a saying as being immoderate, we have to study it referring to texts and considering the state of affairs. The same applies to discovering the reasons and causes of immoderation. We must study the texts to know the causes of deviation and error. So in order to deem a person as being immoderate and find out the best ways of dealing with him, we must refer back to the Islamic Shari'ah.
Second: The Researcher must be Qualified:
Studying the problem of immoderation is a mission that must be carried out by qualified people. For the best results, the researcher should be:
1. Loyal.
2. Knowledgeable.
Third: Neutrality and Adopting a Middle Course:
In order to be neutral while dealing with the problem of immoderation in the modern age, we have to adopt a middle course which is the main trait of our religion. We have to be fair in our discussion of immoderation. Here are some notes that help in dealing with the problem:
Point One: After studying the reasons, we notice there are two aspects that should be known for a better understanding of the problem:
First Aspect: the inner factors related to those acting immoderately.
Second Aspect: the outer factors. There can be a reaction to outer factors that cause immoderation. A problem appeared due to lack of understanding for these two aspects of the problem:
1. The abnormal reactions to the reaction.
2. The immoderate people willingness to be immoderate. Understanding these two points but failing to take them into consideration led to deficiency in assessment and treatment of the problem.
Point Two: It is better to call things with their names. We must differentiate between absolute immoderation and extreme immoderation. The observer of the terms used by the legislator notices there are different names to those deviating from the Shari'ah of Allah according to the degree of their deviation.
Point Three: The observer of the solutions proposed by different people for immoderation notices that those people fell in the same mistake of the immoderate. They criticize those immoderate individuals for confiscating others' pinions even if they are diligent and being partial to their own opinions. Then the researcher goes on to confiscate their correct ideas, falling in the same error.
Point Four: In order to be neutral in dealing with this problem is defining the term immoderation and the immoderate individuals, for some people fight immoderation as an excuse to fight religion itself.
Point Five: Immoderation according to Muslims appears in a context of extremism in cults and other religions. To be fair, statistical studies have proven that cases of immoderation in Muslims are less than those occurring in non-Muslims. Immoderation of non-Muslims is done by countries and organizations while in Muslims, they are mostly individual efforts.
Point Six: Facing this problem should not be characterized by either overestimation or underestimation.
Point Seven: Injustice is not faced with more injustice as committing mistakes cannot be faced with committing another mistake. The immoderate people should not be deemed as disbelievers due to their actions although they may deem others as disbelievers, as long as they have not committed an act of disbelief.
Point Eight: Having a double standard in dealing with deviation in a given society is one of the major partiality problems. One can focus on one aspect of practical immoderation and disregard some practical or dogmatic deviations which are more dangerous and can gradually lead to disbelief.
Point Nine: It is important to deal with the immoderate or extremist in different ways with different situations. Being neutral in dealing with the problem has many benefits such as:
1. Safety from deviations.
2. Gaining the trust of the one dealing with the problem.
3. Reaching a solution for the problem.
Fourth: Regarding the Criterions of Immoderation:
1. Distinguishing between immoderation that deems one a disbeliever and that which does not.
2. Distinguishing between immoderation in minor matter or in a major one.
3. Distinguishing between knowledgeable and unknowledgeable immoderate people.
4. Distinguishing between immoderate people based on diligence and imitation.
5. Distinguishing between immoderate people who interpret texts and those who do not.
6. Distinguishing between those who call to immoderation and those who do not.
7. Distinguishing between immoderate people who fight and those who do not.
As for dealing with specific cases of immoderation, this depends on the specific case and the reasons leading to it. I will lay here the main steps towards a better treatment for the problem. Some are related to immoderate people and some are related to the society and they are:
 1. Holding fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah.
2. Adopting the course of the righteous predecessors.
3. Spreading the way of the predecessors.
4. Understanding true faith and its relation to deeds.
5. Believing in the unclear Ayahs and acting upon the clear ones.
6. Regulating the ruler-ruled relation.
7.  Exerting much effort in Da'wah and reformation.
8. Treating the dogmatic corruption.
9. Protecting religion from its enemies.
10. Seeking the knowledge of Islamic Shari'ah.
11. Ascertaining the deductive method.
12. Ascertaining the method of interpreting Shari'ah terms.
13. Getting knowledge from scholars and honoring their rights.
14. Understanding the objectives of Islamic Shari'ah.
15. Studying history.
16. Realizing the ranks of people.
17. Realizing the ranks of ordinances.
18. Perfecting the Arabic language.
19. Paying attention to the educational curriculums.
20. Optimism and putting one's trust in Allah.
21. Being occupied with useful deeds.
22. Sticking to the method of Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jama'ah in deeds.
23. Opening new fields for Da'wah and reformation.
24. Exchanging advices and fair preaching.
25. Abandoning fanaticism.
26. Depending on discourse.
27. Commanding good and forbidding evil.
28. Adopting tolerance and ease while dealing with people.
29. Contemplating in the states of people and putting their excuses into account.
30. Being tolerant in judging the slips of scholars.
31. Scholars doing their role.
32. Fixing the economic problems.
33. Posing punishments.
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* This paper was presented to the Forum organized by King Abd Al-Aziz Center for National Dialogue during 27-31/12/2003. More than 40 scientists and thinkers participated in the Forum.