"Wasat is the Arabic word for middle, centered, balanced. In Islamic context, it refers to the "middle way", a justly balanced way of life, avoiding extremes and experiencing things in moderation."[2]
"Linguistically, the word "Wasat" means the just, the best (in goodness), the top choice, the finest, the best (in quality), and the most honorable. It was stated in Lisaan Al-Arab: "The most 'Wasat' of a thing is the best of it, the finest of it and the most just of it". Ibn Katheer said: "The 'Wasat' is the top choice and the best quality", as it was said: "Quraysh is the most 'Wasat' of the Arabs in lineage and in quality of living", i.e. the best. And it is said: "Muhammed, the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam, was the 'Wasat' amongst his people", i.e. the most honorable amongst them in lineage." [3]
"The 'awsat' is the centre most part of anything, the median between extremes. The wise expression documented in the hadith collection of Bayhaqi, we find the best being linked to the centrist rather than the extreme ... The best of affairs are the (awsatuha) middle ones." [4]
"'Wasat' is also synonymous with good merit, virtue, goodness, justice, and balance. "The awsatuhum/ most balanced among them said "Did I not tell you, 'Will you not extol God's limitless glory?' " [Qur'an 68:28]" [4]
According to Imam Ahmed Saad, "Al-Wasatiyyah" is the Lost Middle Path. "The absence of the concept of Wasatiyyah from the Muslim mind and life has led to Muslims entering an intellectual and practical Diasporas. The absence of this concept gave space to extremism in understanding the truth and contributed to the appearance of many extreme political, intellectual and religious groups that curse one another and brand their opponents unbelievers and claim that they are the only true Muslims." [5]
Further, Imam Ahmed said, "The terminology itself refers to a praised state in which man is kept from falling into extremism. This term of wasatiyyah is as old as history itself and that is why we can find many of its synonyms like moderation, balance, justice and fairness. Therefore, we can say that wasatiyyah is simply: leading a life of balance, leading a life of moderation and leading a life very close to fitrah (primordial innate nature)." [5]
According to Ustadz Maulana Ulbarshah, Lecturer for the Department of Islamic Revealed Knowledge, Human Sciences,International Islamic University Malaysia, "Moderation is an Islamic principle for social life; this wasatiyyah is an antidote to ... ghuluww (excessiveness), tanattu' (harshness), tashaddud (severity), tatarruf (extremism) ... in all its forms. Wasatiyyah should not, however, be misconstrued as compromise on principles or undermining of universal ethics; for what practical, social and ethical value can person of faith have in the absence of principles."[6]
Dr Mohammad Kamal Hassan of IIU Malaysia in his draft paper on the subject listed about eight (8) implications to Al-Wasatiyyah in Muslim society which often caught between immodation and negligence. [7]
The advice of Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim is: "Always encourage people to take a moderate stand, because it will rescue you from transgression. So we find the middle position between two extremes to be the most balanced and just, where a person will find all the benefits and comforts of this worldly life and the Hereafter. Furthermore, even the human body cannot live normally without the benefits of moderation. If a person is moderate when sleeping, waking, eating, drinking, exercising, in staying away or mixing with others, then the body will function properly. However, if a person goes to an extreme in one of these aspects, then the body will not function properly and the person will not live a normal life." [8]
Source:
[1] http://www.islamicity.com/articles/articles.asp?ref=IC1007-4239&p=1#sthash.XGJoaXFo.dpuf
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasat_(Islamic_term)
[3] http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?70255-Ummah-Wasat-So-That-The-Meaning-Is-Not-Lost-In-Translation
[4] http://www.islamicity.com/articles/articles.asp?ref=IC1007-4239&p=1#sthash.XGJoaXFo.dpuf
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasat_(Islamic_term)
[3] http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?70255-Ummah-Wasat-So-That-The-Meaning-Is-Not-Lost-In-Translation
[4] http://www.islamicity.com/articles/articles.asp?ref=IC1007-4239&p=1#sthash.XGJoaXFo.dpuf
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