Wasatiyya
/ˌwɑː.səˈtɪj.jə/noun
An Islamic concept emphasizing moderation, balance, and a middle or balanced path.
Did you know?Wasatiyya comes from the Arabic root W-S-Ṭ, associated with being in the middle, balanced, and honorable—a principle linked to Qur’an 2:143’s description of a “middle” or “just” community.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*w-s-ṭ
“To be in the middle or center”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
wasaṭ (وَسَط)
“Middle, center, or midpoint; also a position between extremes”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
wasaṭī (وَسَطِيّ)
“Moderate, middle, or pertaining to the center”
Medieval Islamic scholarship
Arabic
wasaṭiyya (وَسَطِيَّة)
“Moderation, balance, or the middle path”
20th–21st Century
English
wasatiyya
“An Islamic framework of moderation and balance, especially in religious and political discourse”