There have been increasingly numerous campaigns and refutations against extremism in religion lately, and they are with just right, because extremism in religion has been forbidden in the Book, the Sunnah and with the consensus of the scholars. Allaah stated: {Say: “O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Exceed not the limits in your religion (by believing in something) other than the truth} Al Maa-idah: 77
In another Ayah: {O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allaah aught but the truth}
The Prophet (pbuh) – said: “Beware of extremism, for indeed the only thing that has destroyed those who came before you is extremism.”
Extremism can also be in rulings; such as making something that is recommended an obligation, or being extreme in the ruling of one who practices a major sin that is less than polytheism by declaring him to be a disbeliever who has left the fold of Islam.
Extremism can be in ordering the good and forbidding the evil, such as the extremism practiced by the Mu’tazillah in the form of revolting against the rulers with the excuse of ordering good and forbidding evil as justification.
Extremism is also in declaring something permissible to be impermissible, or declaring something impermissible to be permissible.
Extremism in religion in all its forms is prohibited, it may cause the individual to exist the fold of Islaam or cause destruction, as it destroyed those who came before us, and no person who has been given understanding and foresight by Allaah in rulings and in placing things in the rightful place can doubt this.
Extremism in religion is to exceed the limits of its legislated boundaries. It could be in worship, such as the three men, one of whom said: ‘I will stand the whole night in prayer and not sleep.’ The second said: ‘I will fast continuously not missing one day without fasting.’ The third said: ‘I will not marry.’