Why did I name my blog Justly Balanced?
There is an ayat in the Holy Quran(2:143) part of which is depicted below
It is an extremely important ayat of the Quran which must be understood by all Muslims so that they discharge the role that is expected of them by Allah.
The following is the explanation of the above ayat that I have collected from the exegesis of the Holy Quran.
Wasat ( a word which has been translated into English as midmost,moderate, just, intermediary middle,central or justly balanced)
Wasat which signifies moderate, middle or central is usually applied to a thing considered to be the best of its kind. According to a Hadith reported by al-Tirmidhi from the Companion Abu Said al-Khudri the word Wasat is to be interpreted as "just" in the sense of being the best (Qurtubi).
In order to explain the implications of the word Wasat commentators have usually made use of another Arabic adjective "Mu'tadil" (signifying moderate or temperate) and the noun "I'tidal " which means being equal. Both the words come from the root "Adl" which signifies to be equal or make equal.
The word 'Ummat e Wasat' thus implies a righteous and noble community which does not overstep its limits but follows the middle course and deals justly with the nations of the world and establishes relations with everyone on the basis of truth and justice.
Let us now consider how the moderation of this Ummah is borne out by actual facts.
First let us take up the doctrinal part.
A) In the case of the earlier Ummahs (communities) one would observe that they took their prophets to be sons of Allah and started worshipping them.
Quran 9:30
(Translation) The Jews call Uzair a son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah
B) some people among them recognized and acknowledged their prophet but refused to obey him when asked to fight in the way of Allah. They bluntly refused as is borne by
Quran 5:24
(Translation) They said: O "Moses! while they remain there never shall we be able to enter to the end of time. Go thou and thy Lord and fight ye two while we sit here (and watch)
C) sometimes the prophets were tortured by their own followers.
In sharp contrast the Islamic Ummah has deep love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims have in every period of their history considered it to be the greatest blessing and privilege to get a chance to sacrifice themselves for the Prophet(pbuh), and yet they never exalted Holy Prophet(pbuh) beyond his actual position. Muslims always call him(pbuh) as "Abduhu wa Rasuluhu" (the servant of Allah and his messenger).
If we turn to the religious practice and religious rites we again find similar excesses and aberrations in earlier Ummahs.
A) On the one hand we find their religious scholars misinterpreting or changing the injunctions of their Shariah and even distorting the sacred books for a few pieces of silver and inventing all kinds of ruses to get rid of divinely ordained rites
B) we find people giving up the world altogether imprisoning themselves in monastic cells, refusing to accept their share of blessings in this material world. They believe that imposing hardships on oneself is an act of worship par excellence.
In contrast the history of the Islamic Ummah presents a totally different picture.
It has never adopted monasticism as the supreme form of religious life. In fact Islam forbids such an attitude.
However, through its readiness to sacrifice life, wealth and property for the sake of the commandments of Allah and His Prophet(pbuh), the Ummah showed how to live a spiritual life in this material world. The Islamic Ummah has demonstrated in its practice as no other Ummah that religion is meant to be put into action in the market places and the halls of power as much as in the mosques and contemplative retreats.
C) In the sphere of human and social relations too the earlier Ummahs have in their behavior been guilty of excess in one way or the other.
We have an indifference to human rights and and an utter disregard to the rights of women in particular.
We see them in pursuit of individual interests and desires without the slightest regard to ethics and morality.
They have an exaggerated sentimentality which forbids the eating of animal flesh and which frowns on the accidental killing of an insect.
In contrast once again it is the Islamic Ummah which has set down a clear code of human rights extended to women children and even animals and plants.
Human rights were prescribed not only in times of peace but even on the battlefield
In the economic sphere too the other Ummahs have been prey to excesses of different kinds.
We have the Capitalist system which does not discriminate between the lawful and unlawful and is totally blind to the welfare of the people. It exalts the amassing of wealth as the highest virtue.
There are some economic systems which do not respect for personal property, freedom, liberty and democracy.
However the essence of these two mutually hostile systems is the same: the pursuit of worldly things as the be all and end of all life.
Islamic Shariah brings the conflicting elements into an equilibrium assigning each its proper place. It promulgates certain principles for the distribution of wealth in a balanced manner so that no member of society should be deprived of the basic necessities of life nor should a group or individual appropriate all wealth. Those things which can be shared in common by all the members of society have been entrusted to public or joint control while in certain specific things the right to private property has been fully respected. It made clear cut distinction between Halaal (lawful) and Haraam(unlawful) possessions and laid down the rules for using them
I shall try and enhance this post later on with links so that the above can be supported through different facts and testimonials.
Till then I invite you to delibrate on the above.
There is an ayat in the Holy Quran(2:143) part of which is depicted below
The translation of which is as follows
"Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations and the Apostle a witness over yourselves:"
"Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations and the Apostle a witness over yourselves:"
The following is the explanation of the above ayat that I have collected from the exegesis of the Holy Quran.
Wasat ( a word which has been translated into English as midmost,moderate, just, intermediary middle,central or justly balanced)
Wasat which signifies moderate, middle or central is usually applied to a thing considered to be the best of its kind. According to a Hadith reported by al-Tirmidhi from the Companion Abu Said al-Khudri the word Wasat is to be interpreted as "just" in the sense of being the best (Qurtubi).
In order to explain the implications of the word Wasat commentators have usually made use of another Arabic adjective "Mu'tadil" (signifying moderate or temperate) and the noun "I'tidal " which means being equal. Both the words come from the root "Adl" which signifies to be equal or make equal.
The word 'Ummat e Wasat' thus implies a righteous and noble community which does not overstep its limits but follows the middle course and deals justly with the nations of the world and establishes relations with everyone on the basis of truth and justice.
Let us now consider how the moderation of this Ummah is borne out by actual facts.
First let us take up the doctrinal part.
A) In the case of the earlier Ummahs (communities) one would observe that they took their prophets to be sons of Allah and started worshipping them.
Quran 9:30
(Translation) The Jews call Uzair a son of Allah and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah
B) some people among them recognized and acknowledged their prophet but refused to obey him when asked to fight in the way of Allah. They bluntly refused as is borne by
Quran 5:24
(Translation) They said: O "Moses! while they remain there never shall we be able to enter to the end of time. Go thou and thy Lord and fight ye two while we sit here (and watch)
C) sometimes the prophets were tortured by their own followers.
In sharp contrast the Islamic Ummah has deep love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims have in every period of their history considered it to be the greatest blessing and privilege to get a chance to sacrifice themselves for the Prophet(pbuh), and yet they never exalted Holy Prophet(pbuh) beyond his actual position. Muslims always call him(pbuh) as "Abduhu wa Rasuluhu" (the servant of Allah and his messenger).
If we turn to the religious practice and religious rites we again find similar excesses and aberrations in earlier Ummahs.
A) On the one hand we find their religious scholars misinterpreting or changing the injunctions of their Shariah and even distorting the sacred books for a few pieces of silver and inventing all kinds of ruses to get rid of divinely ordained rites
B) we find people giving up the world altogether imprisoning themselves in monastic cells, refusing to accept their share of blessings in this material world. They believe that imposing hardships on oneself is an act of worship par excellence.
In contrast the history of the Islamic Ummah presents a totally different picture.
It has never adopted monasticism as the supreme form of religious life. In fact Islam forbids such an attitude.
However, through its readiness to sacrifice life, wealth and property for the sake of the commandments of Allah and His Prophet(pbuh), the Ummah showed how to live a spiritual life in this material world. The Islamic Ummah has demonstrated in its practice as no other Ummah that religion is meant to be put into action in the market places and the halls of power as much as in the mosques and contemplative retreats.
C) In the sphere of human and social relations too the earlier Ummahs have in their behavior been guilty of excess in one way or the other.
We have an indifference to human rights and and an utter disregard to the rights of women in particular.
We see them in pursuit of individual interests and desires without the slightest regard to ethics and morality.
They have an exaggerated sentimentality which forbids the eating of animal flesh and which frowns on the accidental killing of an insect.
In contrast once again it is the Islamic Ummah which has set down a clear code of human rights extended to women children and even animals and plants.
Human rights were prescribed not only in times of peace but even on the battlefield
In the economic sphere too the other Ummahs have been prey to excesses of different kinds.
We have the Capitalist system which does not discriminate between the lawful and unlawful and is totally blind to the welfare of the people. It exalts the amassing of wealth as the highest virtue.
There are some economic systems which do not respect for personal property, freedom, liberty and democracy.
However the essence of these two mutually hostile systems is the same: the pursuit of worldly things as the be all and end of all life.
Islamic Shariah brings the conflicting elements into an equilibrium assigning each its proper place. It promulgates certain principles for the distribution of wealth in a balanced manner so that no member of society should be deprived of the basic necessities of life nor should a group or individual appropriate all wealth. Those things which can be shared in common by all the members of society have been entrusted to public or joint control while in certain specific things the right to private property has been fully respected. It made clear cut distinction between Halaal (lawful) and Haraam(unlawful) possessions and laid down the rules for using them
I shall try and enhance this post later on with links so that the above can be supported through different facts and testimonials.
Till then I invite you to delibrate on the above.
Posted by Arshad
on Tuesday, July 18, 2006. 
Assalam alaykum, Brother :) This is revelation indeed. Really happy that you have started blogging, since this is really the right medium to get your message across to the intellegent and rational people in cyberspace, people who may not have a clear idea about Islam and its teachings. Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts.