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Fatwa CenterIslam: balance and gradualness
Question
What is the concept of balance and gradualness in Islam?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Gradualness is moving from one stage to the other or ascending from one stage to a higher one.
Gradualness is one of the laws of Allaah The Almighty in the universe, we can observe this in ourselves and the world around us. Allaah The Almighty created the heavens and earth in six days while He could have created them in the blink of an eye if He wanted to. Al-Qurtubi 
said that if Allaah The Almighty wanted to He would have created them in a moment, but He wanted to teach us patience and deliberateness.
Graduation was also one of the characteristic methods of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, callers, and righteous people everywhere. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, started by calling people to monotheism, then he started telling them other things gradually as the Quran was being revealed during a period of 23 years until he perfected the religion. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
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{This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.} [Quran 5:3]
So the religion was perfected over this long period, gradually and patiently. There were many subsequent stages. In fact the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not die except after the Arabian peninsula prospered under the shadow of Islam had spread gradually and wisely. The Caliphs and Companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, followed the same path and their followers continued doing so up to this day.
Balance means moderation -- without excess or negligence. This is one of the distinctive traits of Islam, as it keeps a balance between materialism and spiritualism. There can be no comparison between Islam and any other religion, system or philosophy in this aspect or any other. Islam is the religion of moderateness between the body and soul. This moderation is based on justice that suits the innate disposition. This moderation is clear when we consider the methodology of Ahl As-Sunnah, which is based on moderateness without excess or negligence. This can be observed in belief, acts of worship, ethics, and interactions. It is a moderate methodology among all other Islamic Islamic sects that have a trend of excess, to the extent that their methodology has become similar to Christians, while others have a trend of negligence, to the extent that their methodology has become similar to Judaism.
In conclusion, balance is the correct path that is straight and a manner that has no excess or negligence.
Allaah Knows best.
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