BEING BALANCED IN the religion means that a person does not have ghuloo (exaggeration/ extremism) in the religion, whereby he goes beyond the bounds set by Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. It also means that a person does not neglect the religion, whereby he falls short of the limits set by Allaah - the Most Perfect and Most High. So, being balanced in the religion is to hold onto and follow the biography ofthe Prophet 
saw; whereas extremism in the religion is to go beyond its bounds; and to fall short means to not even reach its boundaries. An example of this is where a man says, “I want to stand and pray all throughout the night and I do not want to sleep, because the prayer is from the best forms of worship, so I wish to spend the whole night in prayer.” We say that this type of person has gone to extremes with the religion of Allaah and is not upon the truth. Indeed the like of this occurred in the time of the Prophet saw, where a group gathered and one from amongst them said, “I will stand in prayer all night and will not sleep,” another said; “I will fast and not break the fast,” the third said; “I will not marry women.” So this reached the Prophet saw and he said: "What is wrong with a people, who say such and such, I fast and break my fast, I stand in prayer and I sleep and I marry women; so whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me." So these individuals went to extremes with regards to the religion. As such the Messenger saw freed himself from them, because they turned away from his Sunnah, which encompasses fasting and breaking the fast, standing in prayer, sleeping, and marrying women. As for the one who is negligent and falls short, then he is the type of person who says, “I have no need to carry out optional acts of worship, I will simply carry out that which is obligatory.” And perhaps he will fall short in the obligatory duties as well.So this type of individual is negligent and falls short of what is required whereas the one who is balanced is the one who takes the path of the Messenger saw and follows his rightly guided Khulafaa’ and is upon what they were upon.
saw; whereas extremism in the religion is to go beyond its bounds; and to fall short means to not even reach its boundaries. An example of this is where a man says, “I want to stand and pray all throughout the night and I do not want to sleep, because the prayer is from the best forms of worship, so I wish to spend the whole night in prayer.” We say that this type of person has gone to extremes with the religion of Allaah and is not upon the truth. Indeed the like of this occurred in the time of the Prophet saw, where a group gathered and one from amongst them said, “I will stand in prayer all night and will not sleep,” another said; “I will fast and not break the fast,” the third said; “I will not marry women.” So this reached the Prophet saw and he said: "What is wrong with a people, who say such and such, I fast and break my fast, I stand in prayer and I sleep and I marry women; so whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me." So these individuals went to extremes with regards to the religion. As such the Messenger saw freed himself from them, because they turned away from his Sunnah, which encompasses fasting and breaking the fast, standing in prayer, sleeping, and marrying women. As for the one who is negligent and falls short, then he is the type of person who says, “I have no need to carry out optional acts of worship, I will simply carry out that which is obligatory.” And perhaps he will fall short in the obligatory duties as well.So this type of individual is negligent and falls short of what is required whereas the one who is balanced is the one who takes the path of the Messenger saw and follows his rightly guided Khulafaa’ and is upon what they were upon.
