Question and Answer

only because of excess in religion” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 1851; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 3029). What is excess or extremism? It is to take a matter to its final logical extreme and then issue extreme rulings on that basis. An example of this can be seen in your own question. Emphasizing monotheism is praiseworthy. But it is equally wrong to say that since Muslims who recite the declaration of faith commit shirk, and that because of shirk (polytheism) their good deeds are not accepted, therefore we—the monotheists—will neither pray behind these grave-worshippers (Barelvis, Shi‘as, etc.) nor participate in their funeral prayers. This final claim is precisely what is called excess in the Hadith, and excess itself is destructive. If a person has acquired religious knowledge and, in its light, understands that monotheism holds the position of a foundational belief in Islam, then such a person has the right to convey the message of monotheism with sincere goodwill. But if, along with this reformative call, he begins issuing rulings declaring certain people to be polytheists, and thereby boycotts them—even to the extent of refusing their funeral prayers—then he himself is in the wrong in the sight of Islam, because he is committing excess, and there is no room for excess in Islam. The reality is that the work of reform is an extremely delicate task. One of its essential conditions is that the