What the Prophet ﷺ Warned Us About | Five Signs of Extremism | Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

Special Lighthouse Summer Session at EPIC Masjid | 7/29/25

Why does fanaticism continue to grow within the Ummah, especially among Western Muslims, despite our rich history of balance in religious practice? In this enlightening session, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi explores the dangers of overzealousness and the first deviation in the Ummah: fanaticism. He examines how zeal, when not tempered by wisdom, can lead to harmful extremes, and provides guidance based on the Quran, Sunnah, and historical examples.

Through deep insights into the characteristics of fanaticism and its psychological appeal, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi asks:
Is fanaticism a distortion of true Islamic practice?

0:00 The State of the Ummah today
0:21 The Lack of Iman Amongst the Western Muslims
2:22 The Overzealousness That Comes with Becoming More Practicing
4:06 The First Deviation in the Ummah is Fanaticism
5:00 The Quran and Sunnah Warn Us More About Fanaticism Than the Opposite
6:34 Kharijism
8:16 Hadiths Warning Us Against Fanaticism
14:55 On Defining Fanaticism
18:00 The Characteristics of Fanaticism
18:16 Young in Age
19:47 Never Take a Fatwa from Someone Around Your Age
20:38 When Shaykh Got a Job in a City with No Masjid
23:00 Zeal Isn’t Wisdom
24:11 Foolish in Their Visions
24:49 Speak Sweetly, But Their Actions Belie Their Statements
25:58 The Slogans of the Khawarij
28:07 Beware of Catchy Slogans
28:18 Fanatics Have a Superficial Religiosity
30:51 Brothers Who Watch Game of Thrones but Complain About Minor Hijab Issues
31:52 Fanaticism Becomes a Hammer to Hit Other People
32:35 They Target the Believers and Ignore the Pagans
37:30 The Abstract Issues of Theology and Tertiary Issues of Fiqh Are Not the Biggest Issues
39:05 The Fanatic Believes He Has the Only Correct Understanding of Islam
42:55 The Psychological Appeal of Fundamentalism
47:00 Shaykh’s Definition of Overzealous Fundamentalism
50:42 Ali (RA) Didn’t Impose His Beliefs on the Khawarij
53:07 Fundamentalism Alienates More People Than It Benefits
54:00 Fundamentalists Turn the Average Person Away from Religiosity
55:43 The Deen is Ease