The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Alsheikh, who is also Chairman of the Senior Ulema Commission and Religious Research Department and Ifta (deliverance of legal opinions), stressed that Islam is fundamentally characterized by moderation, ease, tolerance and leniency and has no place for extremism, adding that extremists' positions cannot be considered part of religion, but against it. This came in a press meeting with him on the occasion of the workshop and inauguration of the headquarters of the Chair of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz for Contemporary Islamic Studies at King Saud University today. The Mufti said, "We hope this chair will encourage scholarly research based on moderation without excess or carelessness to glorify Allah (God) and safeguard His law and to encourage specialists and researchers to go deep into this field and present strong arguments to confront the tides of extremism and alienation prevailing in the Islamic nation in this era. The Mufti stated that they should be confronted by verified Islamic knowledge based on Allah's Holy Quran and the Sunnah (tradition) of his Prophet, peace be upon him, because these two contain guidance and enlightenment. The Mufti said that Allah says: "Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable)". The Mufti also said that Allah also says: "Then We put thee on the (right) Way of Religion: so follow thou that (Way), and follow not the desires of those who know not. They will be of no use to thee in the sight of God: it is only Wrong-doers (that stand as) protectors, one to another: but God is the Protector of the Righteous." On the extremism of some people and the abandoning of moderation and failure to adhere to the firm principles of the religion under the guise of moderation and on his advice to the youth in this regard, the Mufti cited some sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, that encourage moderation and discourage extremism. --More
