MADINAH: Saleh Al-Maghamsi recently delivered a lecture about "Moderation in Islam" as part of Taibah University's 'Moderation Ambassadors' program, revealing the motivating factors behind the phenomenon of young men turning to extremism.

The lecture defined the true meaning of moderation, and clarified that moderation in the Holy Qur'an doesn’t mean staying in the middle, but rather reflects a recognition that God has chosen Islam for us through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and has said that no one can change any of it.

He said that some factors which result in this tendency to turn to extremism may involve the way that people defame and demote popular scholars, leading youths to turn against their teachings.

He also noted the problem of some families insisting on reminding young men of their past sins, which might not appear to be a major issue, but which can actually make them believe that paradise will not be accessible to them.

He explained this by saying that entering paradise is linked with self-sacrifice in life or in death, leading some youth to think that killing themselves is the way to regain the opportunity to enter paradise.