Wasat (Islam)
Wasat ( Arabic وسطية, DMG wasaṭ ), also known as Wasaṭīya , is an Arabic term that can mean middle, central, balanced, moderate . In Sura 2 al-Baqara , verse 143 begins as follows:
"وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا"
"And so we (Muslims) have made you (Muslims) a community standing in the middle, so that you can be witnesses about (other) people and the Messenger can be a witness about you."
Wasat, meaning "middle (of the sky)", is the name of the star δ Geminorum in the constellation Gemini .
Modern uses
- The Al-Wasat party in today's Egypt describes itself as a moderate party, between the extremes of the purely Islamic worldview of the Muslim Brotherhood and a purely nationalist worldview ( Watanīya ).
- al-Wasat ( Arabic الوسط, DMG al-Wasaṭ ) is an Arabic daily newspaper from Bahrain .
- In Malaysia there is a non-governmental organization called Wasatiyyah Institute Malaysia , which is committed to promoting a moderate Islam .
- As part of the name in the Moscow Wasatiyya Center .