The Concept of Tawassuṭ and Religious Moderation in the Perspective of the Qur’an and Hadith: Principles of Balance, Justice, and the Rejection of Extremism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69900/ag.v6i1.522Keywords:
Tawassuth, Religious Moderation, Qur’an, HadithAbstract
This study aims to examine the concept of tawassuth and religious moderation based on Islamic doctrinal sources and to analyze their relevance to the dynamics of Muslim life in the contemporary era. Using the library research method, this study finds that religious moderation represents an integral theological and ethical framework in Islam, as well as a solution to various modern religious issues such as intolerance, social polarization, and misunderstandings of religious doctrine. The findings affirm that tawassuth is not merely a moral value, but a foundational religious principle that is inclusive, adaptive, and supportive of the creation of a harmonious and civilized social order. Tawassuth, or the attitude of moderation, constitutes a principal teaching in Islam that emphasizes balance, justice, and the avoidance of extremism in religious practice. From the perspective of the Qur’an and Hadith, religious moderation is understood as the ideal identity of the Muslim community, as reflected in the concept of ummatan wasathan in Qur’an Surah al-Baqarah [2]:143. This concept teaches the importance of practicing religion proportionally neither excessively (ifrâṭ) nor negligently (tafrîṭ) while upholding values of public good, tolerance, and social responsibility. The Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) further emphasizes the importance of simplicity, prudence in religious practice, and the prohibition of radicalism and fanaticism that may undermine social harmony
References
Amin, S, I Abinnashih, and R C Dewi. “Utilizing CBT Based E-Learning to Enhance the Quality of Education at MTs N 2 Purbalingga.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Islamic Education and Thought, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/450.
Appel, M. “Transportation and Need for Affect in Narrative Persuasion: A Mediated Moderation Model.” Media Psychology 13, no. 2 (2010): 101–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213261003799847.
Aryee, S. “Transformational Leadership, Innovative Behavior, and Task Performance: Test of Mediation and Moderation Processes.” Human Performance 25, no. 1 (2012): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2011.631648.
Abdullah, Mahmoud, Huzaiman Hushin, Salma Begum, Yousif Mahmadov, and Abdallah El-Khatib. “Islamic Religious Education in Society 5.0: Developing Human-Centered Learning for Sustainable Future Competencies.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v2i1.43.
Begum, Salma, Maryam Rashid Saleh Al Tamimi, Muneera Mohammed Al Dossary, Abdallah El-Khatib, and Ainul Jaria Maidin. “Integrating Maqashid Al-Shari’ah into Sustainable Education: An Islamic Perspective on Global Citizenship Education.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025): 65–85. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v2i1.22.
Bierman, K. “Executive Functions and School Readiness Intervention: Impact, Moderation, and Mediation in the Head Start REDI Program.” Development and Psychopathology 20, no. 3 (2008): 821–43. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579408000394.
Blair, I V. “Imagining Stereotypes Away: The Moderation of Implicit Stereotypes through Mental Imagery.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 81, no. 5 (2001): 828–41. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.5.828.
Bolat, Markhabat, Mohammad Ahmad Bani Amer, Khalid Abdullah Al Muzaini, Maryam Rashid Saleh Al Tamimi, and Muneera Mohammed Al Dossary. “Metaverse-Based Islamic Religious Education: Reimagining Immersive Learning for Future Islamic Classrooms.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v2i1.42.
Cao, D. “Understanding Consumers’ Social Media Engagement Behaviour: An Examination of the Moderation Effect of Social Media Context.” Journal of Business Research 122 (2021): 835–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.025.
Cavatorta, F. “Moderation through Exclusion? The Journey of the Tunisian Ennahda from Fundamentalist to Conservative Party.” Democratization 20, no. 5 (2013): 857–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2013.801255.
Chancellor, S. “Thyghgapp: Instagram Content Moderation and Lexical Variation in Pro-Eating Disorder Communities.” Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work CSCW 27 (2016): 1201–13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2818048.2819963.
Desyulita, Nazla, Zahrina Farizah Adiliani, Uswatun Hasanah, Fitriah Amina, and Eko Nursalim. “Implementation of the Friday Rohis Program for Muslim Students at SMAN 1 Sangatta Selatan with the Theme Today’s Muslim Women: Faith, Health, and Education Towards a Meaningful Life.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v2i1.5.
Gillespie, T. “Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions That Shape Social Media.” Custodians of the Internet Platforms Content Moderation and the Hidden Decisions That Shape Social Media, 2018, 1–288. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85051469782&origin=inward.
Handayani, F, M H Basari, and ... “Implementation of Boarding School Learning in Building Religious Character at SMA Daarul Qur’an Bandung.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Islamic Education and Thought, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/472.
Hayes, A F. “Regression-Based Statistical Mediation and Moderation Analysis in Clinical Research: Observations, Recommendations, and Implementation.” Behaviour Research and Therapy 98 (2017): 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.11.001.
Heo, M. “Depressive Mood and Obesity in US Adults: Comparison and Moderation by Sex, Age, and Race.” International Journal of Obesity 30, no. 3 (2006): 513–19. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803122.
Hushin, Huzaiman, Yousif Mahmadov, Markhabat Bolat, and Mohammad Ahmad Bani Amer. “Developing Critical Thinking Through Islamic Education: A Systematic Review of Contemporary Approaches.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025): 43–64. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v2i1.21.
Jhaver, S. “Online Harassment and Content Moderation: The Case of Blocklists.” ACM Transactions on Computer Human Interaction 25, no. 2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1145/3185593.
Knouff, C. “Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Calls for Activation in Moderation: Lessons from Genetics and Pharmacology.” Endocrine Reviews 25, no. 6 (2004): 899–918. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2003-0036.
Lee, A. “Empowering Leadership: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Incremental Contribution, Mediation, and Moderation.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 39, no. 3 (2018): 306–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2220.
Mohammed Abu Bakr, Yahya, Norakyairee Mohd Raus, Ahmed H. Ibrahim, and Atta Ullah Faizi. “Islamic Education and Intercultural Competence: Promoting Religious Literacy in Multicultural Societies.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025): 86–105. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v2i1.23.
Montoya, A K. “Moderation Analysis in Two-Instance Repeated Measures Designs: Probing Methods and Multiple Moderator Models.” Behavior Research Methods 51, no. 1 (2019): 61–82. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-1088-6.
Mukhlis, M. “The Effectiveness of the Lok-R Model in Enhancing Academic Achievement in the Islamic Religious Education Study Program.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Islamic Education and Thought, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/417.
Mukhlis, Mukhlis, Helene Knudstad, Md. Sultan Mahmud, Najeeb Yahya, and Mowafg Masuwd. “Islamic Educational Innovation: Exploring Modern Pedagogical Approaches in Islamic Institutions and Their Impact on Students’ Cognitive and Ethical Development.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v2i1.7.
Mukhlis, Mukhlis. “The Effectiveness of Islamic Character Education in Enhancing Students’ Leadership, Discipline, and Moral Values.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 3, no. 1 (January 3, 2026). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v3i1.12.
Nabriz, Ahmad, Ahmad Faizal Syahrul Azmi, Abubaker Kashada, Rahmat Ullah, and Ajoy Chandra. “Islamic Religious Education and Digital Citizenship: Preparing Muslim Youth for Ethical Participation in the Global Digital Society.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 3, no. 1 (June 28, 2026): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v3i1.18.
Nabriz, Ahmad, Ahmad Faizal Syahrul Azmi, Abubaker Kashada, Rahmat Ullah, and Ajoy Chandra.. “The Future of Islamic Education in Europe: Challenges, Opportunities, and Emerging Paradigms.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025): 14–42. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v2i1.20.
Rivai, F A, and N Rahmawati. “Workshop, Assistance, and Capacity Building in the Development of Teaching Materials Based on 21st-Century Learning.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Islamic Education and Thought, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/470.
Roberts, S T. “Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media.” Behind the Screen Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media, 2019, 1–266. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85125972688&origin=inward.
Rusydi, A, A Khalidi, and Z Najirah. “The Effect of Colored Headscarf Punishment on Improving the Speaking Skills (Maharah Kalām) of Female Students at Ihyā Ulumuddīn Nur Sufi’iyah Amuntai Islamic Boarding School.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Islamic Education and Thought, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/435.
Sardeshmukh, S R. “Integrating Moderation and Mediation: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.” Organizational Research Methods 20, no. 4 (2017): 721–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428115621609.
Shanock, L R. “Polynomial Regression with Response Surface Analysis: A Powerful Approach for Examining Moderation and Overcoming Limitations of Difference Scores.” Journal of Business and Psychology 25, no. 4 (2010): 543–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9183-4.
Susanti, Ria, Putri Roseana, and Agus Diannor. “The Influence of Religious Activity Habituation on the Formation of Students’ Character at MI Al-Falah, Tigarun Village, Amuntai Tengah District, Hulu Sungai Utara Regency.” Al Husna: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Agama Islam 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.69900/ah.v2i1.3.
Syifa, A, and N Hasanah. “The Thoughts of Shaykh Abdus Shamad Al-Palimbani in Hidayatus Salikin on the Concept of Tazkiyatun Nafs.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Education and …, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/424.
Tanuri, T. “Exploring the Roles and Challenges of the Sandwich Generation in the Context of Islamic Education and Family Ethics.” AL GHAZALI: Journal of Education and Thought…, 2025. https://jurnal.staialjami.ac.id/index.php/AL_GHAZALI/article/view/451.
Yilmaz, Ihsan, Esraa Al-Sarray, and Ainul Jaria Maidin. “Digital Citizenship Education in Islamic Religious Education: Cultivating Responsible Muslim Citizens in the Digital Society.” Al-Mukhlashin: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu 2, no. 1 (June 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.69900/am.v2i1.41.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hary Nurdi, Mahyuddin Barni, Abdul Basir, Ali Muammar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
