Allah Almighty says: {Ta Ha. We have not sent down the Qur’an [O Prophet] to cause you distress.} [Surat Ta Ha: 1-2] Allah Almighty also says: {Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you} [Surat al-Baqarah: 185]
1) Shariah is centered on easiness and alleviation of distress.
2) They urge moderation such that the individual follows a middle course between extremism and negligence.
142/1- ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came in while a woman was sitting with her. He said: “Who is she?” ‘Ā’ishah replied: “She is so-and-so,” and told him about her (excessive) praying. He said disapprovingly: “Do (good) deeds according to your capacity, for by Allah, Allah never grows weary (of giving rewards) unless you grow weary (of doing good deeds),” and the best deed in his sight was that which is done regularly. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
-- Allah never grows weary: means that He will not cut off the reward of your deeds nor will He treat you like a bored one would do unless you grow weary by ceasing to do the good deeds you are doing. So you should do the good deeds you are capable of doing consistently so that you continue to receive the reward from Allah and His favor upon you.
1) The guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is to do good deeds consistently even if it is little.
2) It instructs people to maintain moderation and avoid extremism. Acts of worship should be performed moderately to enable its consistent observance, because the best deed to Allah is the one done regularly, no matter how little it is.
143/2 -Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Three men came to the house of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to ask about his worship. When they were told about his worship, it was as if they considered it insufficient and said: ‘How can we be compared to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) whom Allah has forgiven his past and future sins?’ One of them said: ‘As for me, I shall offer prayer all night long.’ The other said: ‘I shall fast every day and not miss a day without fasting.’ The third said: ‘I shall abstain from women and never marry.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came to them and said: ‘Are you those who said such and such things? By Allah, I am the most fearing of Allah and most mindful of Him than any of you; yet I fast and break my fast, I pray and sleep, and I marry women. So whoever does not follow my Sunnah does not belong to me.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) Moderation in worship is a Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2) It relays a Prophetic instruction to attend to the rights of oneself and others. The individual’s self has a right upon him, his family has a right upon him, and his wife has a right upon him; a fortunate individual is he who gives each their due right.
3) The best of guidance is that of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him); so, the fortunate person is he who is guided to follow his Sunnah throughout his life, and the unfortunate is he who is deprived of following the Sunnah due to ignorance or ill desire; such a person lives and dies in vain.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated, “Drawing closer to Allah Almighty and fearing Him is done according to the manner He commanded rather than the product of imagination that burdens the individual with deeds that Allah did not command him to do.”
[Commentary on Sahīh Muslim]
144/3 - Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Ruined are the extremists!” He said it thrice. [Narrated by Muslim]
Extremists: refers to those who unnecessarily delve too deep and go beyond the required bounds.
1) It instructs against following an extreme course when dealing with Sharia issues because of the harm and loss that such an approach would incur in this life and in the Hereafter.
2) It recommends refraining from searching for fruitless minute issues, while instructing searching for what benefits the individual in this life and the Hereafter.
145/4 - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, the religion (of Islam) is easy. No one overburdens himself with the religion but he will be unable to continue in this way. So be moderate in your religion; if you can’t reach perfection, try to be near to it and receive the glad tidings that you will be rewarded. Take benefit of the early mornings, the afternoons, and (the last) part of the night (to worship Allah).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
In another version narrated by him: “Do your duties as best as you can and try to be near to perfection; make use of the early morning, the afternoon, and part of the night. Be moderate, be moderate, and you will reach your goal.”
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-- -- -- Part of the night: it is a metaphor that means worship Allah, Glorified and Exalted, in the times of your activeness and leisure so that you feel the enjoyment of worship and achieve your goals. These times resemble the very same times an acute traveler would choose to journey, and he would rest with his riding animal at other times. In this manner, he would reach his destination without weariness; and Allah knows best.
1) The proper practice is to do acts of worship in a perfect manner; if it is not possible for one to do so, he should try to be as near to perfection as he can.
2) It shows how Sharia encourages good deeds whilst giving glad tidings of the great rewards from Allah, Glorified and Exalted.
3) The individual should bring joy to his companions by delivering good news to them and displaying a cheerful face as much as he can.
4) Moderation in worship with consistency is the means that leads to success in this life and the Hereafter.
5) One should take advantage of the inclination of the heart and its leisure in obeying Allah Almighty and worshiping Him.
146/5- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came one day into the masjid and saw a rope stretched between two poles. He inquired: ‘What is this rope for?’ He was told: ‘This is Zaynab’s rope. When she feels tired (in voluntary prayer), she holds on to it for support.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him said: ‘Untie it. You should pray as long as you have the energy to do so. If you feel tired, then lie down.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) The believer should not overburden himself with abundant acts of worship beyond his ability.
2) It is recommended to be moderate in worship and that the individual should worship Allah at times of his activeness, because the best deed to Allah Almighty is what is done consistently.
147/6 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If anyone of you feels sleepy while praying, he should lie down till the sleepiness goes away, for if he prays while sleepy, he may intend to ask forgiveness but reviles himself instead.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) It prompts moderation in worship, because if a person commits himself to do worship that incurs hardship on him, he would be doing injustice to himself.
2) It recommends observing worship when one is active and present-minded, and giving the body its due right of rest.
148/7- Abu ‘Abdullah Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “I used to pray with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and his prayer was moderate in length and his sermon was moderate in length.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1) It shows that moderation in worship is from the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2) It encourages spending a moderate length of time when preaching to people to avoid making them feel bored, because the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to give moderate sermons, neither long nor short.
149/8- Abu Juhayfah Wahb ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) made a bond of brotherhood between Salmān and Abu al-Dardā’. Salmān paid a visit to Abu al-Dardā’ and found his wife, Umm al-Dardā’, dressed in a shabby manner and asked her why she was in that state. She replied: “Your brother Abu al-Dardā’ is not interested in (the pleasures of) this world.” Later, Abu al-Dardā’ came and prepared a meal for Salmān, offered it to him and said: “You eat, for I’m fasting.” Salmān said: “I am not going to eat unless you eat.” So Abu al-Dardā’ ate with him. When it was night, Abu al-Dardā’ got up to offer (voluntary) night prayer, but Salmān told him to sleep, and Abu al-Dardā’ slept. After sometime, Abu al-Dardā’ again got up to pray, but Salmān told him to sleep. During the last hours of the night, Salmān told him to get up, and both of them offered the prayer. Salmān then told Abu al-Dardā’: “Your Lord has a right on you, your own self has a right on you, and your family has a right on you, so give everyone their due right." Abu al-Dardā’ went to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and told him the whole story. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Salmān has spoken the truth.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) It is disliked to overburden oneself with fasting and standing [in voluntary prayer] beyond one’s capacity.
2) It is recommended that the Muslim visits his fellow Muslim and ensures about his wellbeing and that of his household.
3) It is obligatory to fulfill rights to those entitled to them; and the fortunate person is the one who fulfills this.
150/9- ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was told that I had said: ‘By Allah, I will fast every day and pray every night for as long as I live.’ Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asked me: ‘Are you the one who said that?’ I said: ‘Yes, I said it; may my father and mother ransom you.’ He said: ‘You would not be able to do that. So fast and break your fast, pray and sleep. Fast for three days a month. The reward of a good deed is multiplied by ten, so the fasting of three days a month equals the fasting of a year.’ I said: ‘I can do (fast) more than this.’ He said: ‘Then fast one day every three days.’ I said: ‘I can do more than that.’ He said: ‘Fast every other day; this was the fasting of Dāwūd (David) and the best form of fasting.’ I said: ‘I can do better than that.’ He said :‘There is nothing better than that.’” ‘Abdullah said: “If I had accepted the three days that the Messenger of Allah said, it would be dearer to me than my family and my wealth.” Another version reads: ‘I was informed that you always fast during the day and pray at night. Is it true?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Do not do that! Fast and stop fasting, and pray and sleep. Indeed, your body has a right upon you, your eyes have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your visitor has a right upon you. It is enough for you to fast three days every month. You get a ten-fold reward for any good deed, and thus this is tantamount to fasting the whole year.’ But I favored what is harder and so things were made harder for me. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have strength (to fast more).’ He said: ‘Then, observe the fast of the Prophet of Allah David and no more than that.’ I said: ‘How was the fast of David?’ He said: ‘Half of the year.’ ‘Abdullah used to say after growing old: ‘I wish I had taken the dispensation of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).’”
In another version: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘I have been informed that you fast every day and recite (the whole of the Qur’an) every night.’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah! But I intended thereby nothing but good,’ whereupon he said: ‘Then fast like the Prophet of Allah David, for he was the most ardent worshiper of Allah; and recite the Qur’an once every month.’ I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I am capable of doing more than that.’ He said: ‘Then recite it (the whole Qur’an) in every twenty days.’ I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I am capable of doing more than that.’ He said: ‘Then recite it once in every ten days.’ I said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, I am capable of doing more than that.’ He said: ‘Then recite it once in every seven days, and not recite more than that.’ The Prophet of Allah also said to me: ‘You do not know, you may live long.’ When I grew old, I wished I had availed myself of the concession (granted to me by) the Prophet of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).”
In another version of the Hadīth, he said: “and your children have a right upon you.” And in another version: “May he, who perpetually fasts (without a break), never fast!” In another version of the Hadīth, he said: “The best (voluntary) fast in the sight of Allah is the fast of David, and the best (voluntary) prayer in the sight of Allah is the prayer of David. He used to sleep half of the night, stand to pray one third of it, and then sleep one sixth of it, and he used to fast every other day, and he never fled when meeting the enemy.”
In another version: ‘Abdullah said: “My father helped me marry a woman of a noble descent, and he used to inquire of his daughter-in-law regarding her husband. She would say: ‘What a fine man he is! He never comes to my bed, nor has he approached me since he married me.’ When this state of affairs lasted for some time, my father mentioned the matter to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) who said to him, “Tell him to meet me.” I later met him so he asked me: ‘How often do you fast?’ I replied: ‘Daily.’ He asked me: ‘How often do you read the whole Qur’an?’ I said: ‘Every night.’” Then he narrated the rest of the story. He (in his old age) would recite one-seventh of his nightly recitation to some members of his family during the day to lighten his task at night. Whenever he wished to have a relief from his fast on alternate days, he would give up fasting for a few days and make up for the deficiency later by observing the number of fasts he had missed. He would not give up the number of fasts altogether because he did not wish to abandon what he had settled with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). All of these narrations are authentic, and most of them are narrated by both Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, while a few are narrated by one of them.
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He never comes to my bed: She intends thereby that he refrains from having sexual intercourse with her.
1) It reflects the vastness of Allah’s mercy, by multiplying the single good deed tenfolds.
2) Perfection and goodness lie entirely in following the path of the Prophets (peace be upon them) in terms of knowledge and action.
3) Little consistent worship that conforms to the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is better than abundant yet inconsistent worship that contradicts his guidance.
4) It shows how Islam is the religion of moderation and the law of easiness and removal of inconvenience and hardship.
151/10- Abu Rib‘ī Hanzhallah ibn al-Rabī‘ al-Usaydi, one of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported: “I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: ‘How are you?’ I said: ‘Hanzhalah has turned into a hypocrite.’ He (Abu Bakr) said: ‘Glory be to Allah! What are you saying?’ I said: ‘When we are in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he reminds us of Paradise and Hellfire as if we are seeing them with our very eyes, and when we depart from his company, we attend to our wives, children, and business, and we forget much of that.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘By Allah, I do experience the same.’ So I and Abu Bakr went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Hanzhalah has turned into a hypocrite.’ Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘And how is that?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company, you remind us of Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, then when we depart from you we attend to our wives, children, and business, and we forget much of that.’ Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, if your state remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzhalah, time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation) and time (should be devoted to worldly affairs).’ He said the last words three thrice.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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Turned hypocrite: means that his deeds are similar to those of the hypocrites.
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1) It shows the eagerness of the Companions (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to maintain the soundness of their faith and their fear of hypocrisy.
2) It reflects the excellence of remembrance because it is one of the dearest acts of worship to Allah Almighty.
3) One must not overburden himself. Instead, he must attend to the right of Allah and the rights of people, and pay each their due right.
4) It endears Paradise and frightens from Hellfire, which strengthens the faith in the heart of the individual.
152/11- Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “While the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering a sermon, he saw a man who was standing. He asked about him and was told: ‘This is Abu Isrā’īl. He made a vow to stand in the sun and not sit down, to avoid the shade, to keep silent, and to fast.’ The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Order him to speak, seek the shade, sit down, and complete his fast.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) Allah Almighty does not accept any deed He has not ordained nor permitted, because acts of worship require compliance with Sharia, following the example of the Prophet, and refraining from religious innovation.
2) A vow to sin must not be fulfilled, such as vowing to commit a prohibited or disliked act, or vowing to do what one does not have the ability to fulfill.
3) A vow to do a good deed must be fulfilled and must not be broken (such as the vow of the aforementioned Companion to fast).
4) It prohibits from overburdening oneself beyond his ability.