THE Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations aim to achieve comprehensive development, including peace, as indicated in SDG 16.
Consequently, establishing peace has emerged as one of humanity's top priorities as the world grapples with previously unheard-of issues.
Additionally, some extremist trends threaten attempts to advance world peace. Types of extremism include theological, ideological, historical, behavioural and political.
Hence, amid such unhealthy trends, we should preserve long-term sustainable peace and vigorously condemn and reject extremism, radicalism, and terrorism that jeopardise peace.
We should develop a strategy prescribing a dynamic method for sustainable world peace.
In the current context, that strategy may be a "method of moderation". The method of moderation has vital features enabling humankind to see how it is applied to all aspects of life.
Excellence or righteousness, justice, easing and removing hardship, and wisdom are some of the features of moderation, among many.
We should remember that moderation is one of the keys to avoiding violence, extremism and terrorism.
The following are some of the significant features of moderation that will help avoid the growth of extremism in any society.
The first feature of moderation is excellence or goodness. It is the 'middle' way or path, referring to the 'best' and 'excellent' in everything.
From another perspective, the 'middle' also refers to 'justice' as 'the best', inferring those who maintain justice.
It also explains that excellence or goodness depends upon justice. Learned people integrate these terms, and that one autonomously complements the other.
The remarkable aspects of excellence or goodness are the commitment to propagating good and forbidding evil, self-recognition in providing benefits for humankind and considering their wellbeing.
The second feature of moderation is justice. It refers to straightforwardness, impartiality, fairness, equitableness, probity, honesty, uprightness and just composition.
It also indicates that good character is established. Thus, in friendship and enmity, there should be no deviation from laws; in deeds, there is no diversion, nor is there any reduction or addition when implementing or enforcing laws.
Hence, none should abandon justice, for it is considered obligatory in all circumstances.
The just person is straightforward, impartial, fair, equitable, honest, and upright. One who observes moderation is expected to have these attributes.
Justice is a fundamental right of every individual.
This universal principle should manifest in all human relations, and all people should be the frontline force in administering justice.
It is essential to uphold justice in the face of 'special interest' pressures and be carried out even if it involves kith and kin.
The third feature of moderation is ease and removal of hardship.
Life should be straightforward. People must be freed from unnatural restrictions imposed by inauthentic authorities. Therefore, remove hardship and do not impose burdens on others.
Make things easy for humans because it appears in the constitution for human life, which considers human nature, ability, and needs.
It taps human's constructive energy, protecting it against wasteful use.
None should charge others with unreasonable suppression or oppression.
Nurture consciousness to realise the consequences of extremism.
Whenever there is an option between two things, select the easier of the two as long as it is not burdensome; if it is burdensome or sinful, remain far from it.
Command people to adopt ease in human relations, dealings and approaches and emphasise the treatment in the friendliest way.
Facilitate things by treating the people most agreeably, not making things difficult for them, giving them glad tidings, and letting them not make the people hate good deeds, and work in cooperation and mutual understanding.
Subhadra, [18/1/2023 3:54 PM]
Aim to complement human nature by acknowledging abilities so that human nature is not suppressed.
Overall, there shall be no untoward impositions on humankind's ability or nature. None should impose hardship on others.
The fourth feature of moderation is 'wisdom'. Wisdom refers to obtaining the truth through knowledge and reason. It infers a prohibition of ignorance while forbidding any migration towards harshness and evil.
Knowledge is wisdom because it prohibits stupidity and idiotism in behaviour.
Thus, education prevents the impudence that spawns unhealthy cultures replete with destructive activities.
Wisdom refers to knowledge, helpful science, a creative intellect, and empathetic kindness that maintain objectivity in word and deed.
Things cannot be regarded as authentic except by wisdom, which refers to putting things in a proper perspective while keeping all affairs in accord with their respective positions.
Wisdom infers desirable activities that appropriately suit a moment of need.
Wisdom reveals the need for boundaries and implies moderation. Therefore, in essence, wisdom demands strict observance of moderation and is immune to excess or negligence.
The implication is that the abandonment of moderation results in passivism and negativism, which are counterintuitive to wisdom's advantages.
The fifth feature of moderation is 'straightness'. Straightness is when a person is not living within a network of 'straightness', he/she will deviate from the truth according to the common understanding. Deviation manifests as either excessiveness or negligence and is contrary to moderation.
Straightness is the essence of moderation. It means sincerity, uprightness, rectitude, integrity, probity, honesty, rightness, soundness and correctness.
When someone is straight, they avoid compromises with misguided individuals based on the idea of "give and take" and do not accommodate their whims, prejudices, or ignorant behaviours.
Straightness is defined as following the straight path against tyranny, oppression and terror-inducing activities that transgress all bounds. It also means remaining steadfast in pursuing good declarations and discharging all duties.
The greatest of noble deeds is the application of straightness to all matters. Logically, this implies there can be no straightness without moderation and vice-versa.
The sixth feature of moderation is maintaining a balance 'between two limits'. It refers to placing a thing between two things to establish the balance that stands 'between two limits'.
It is not trivial but rather profound, wherein the term 'between two limits' is equivalent to balancing one's actions, judgments and thoughts far from extremism, laxity, immoderation and negligence. Hence, any positioning 'between two limits' is praiseworthy.
The 'best' is a middle ground between two things, matters or limits; this is the intermediate position.
Moderation is balance and justice, and moderation must be maintained, that is, to maintain balance in everything that a human does, whether zeal or vivacity.
As stated in SDG 16, sustainable peace will result from sincerely and enthusiastically implementing all these tenets or features of "moderation."
Islam, as a holistic way of life, encourages everyone to embrace the "method of moderation" to end extremism.
* The writer is a professor at the Department of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, International Islamic University Malaysia