Summary of moderation
Seek moderation in your habits as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said the best of the matters is its middle state. Imam ‘Aliyy praised it and said those who remain in the center will be a reference to the previous seeker and are followed by the next generations. The two extremes dispraised by Islam and sound mind whether out of habit or proper worship are negligence and extremism. This was instructed in Qur’an alIsraa’ 29 and alFurqaan 67 which addressed proper spending. The two extremes are miserliness and reckless spending. Courage’s extremes are cowardice and destroying oneself. Humbleness extremes are arrogance and lowness and humiliation. Shyness extremes are femininity and rudeness and boldness. Good reception to others extremes are silliness and immortality and dryness and isolation. The habits of eating drinking sleeping talking and others are measured accordingly.
Refer to the pious mentors when you are in doubt. With no mentors around like today stop and confirm what’s right. A rule of thumb in recommended manners like humbleness generosity shyness is to go for more of it. In habitual matters like eating drinking and talking go for less of that.
Your soul likes to be extreme in habitual matters but negligent and overlooking in religious matters. Seek to take what is displeasing to it. Spend more and give others as yourself is more preserving and having love for money.
In the beginning the awliyaa’ they straighten themselves by following disciplinary routines to train their self, scrutinize it and reduce its thickness. This maybe more extreme as the uncontrolled soul you need to feed it less, work it hard and put it down to make it useful and workable. When they reach the high level and do that they are overtaken by the light of ‘Eemaan and been given the hidden secrets of piety. Sahl bin ‘Abdullah used not to eat in Ramadan except to break fast, stays in a room with one opening and thirty loafs given to him are untouched. Some will eat once a year. The great high waliyy Muhammad bin Aliyy Baa’alawiyy remained for four months without food and didn’t drink. There are many stories about such unique quality of people.
May Allah make us benefit from them.