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Islam
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The Easy Way
- Khurram Murad
Introduction
One of the terms used by the Qur'an during the
early Makkan period to describe Islam was Al-Yusraa, or 'The
Easy Way'. This is simply because Islam was, and is the natural
way of life. Indeed, whatever is natural for human beings should
be easy for them in every way, hence cause them to gravitate
towards it easily, and consequently bring harmony, peace and
tranquillity to their lives. Since the Quran is the book upon
which the Islamic way of life is built, then the Quran has to be
easy to understand and follow-it is 'The Easy Way'.
This view that Islam is easy to understand and
practice, is one which is derived from the primary sources of
Islam. In the Quran, Allah comforts us by continuously
reassuring us that He desires for us ease not hardship, despite
the seemingly formidable trials and tribulations that we may
sometimes face. He says:
'God desires ease for you, and desires
not hardship' (2:185);
'Truly with hardship comes ease' (94: 6);
'God will assuredly appoint, after difficulty; easiness'
(65:7);
'Whoso fears God, God will appoint for him, of His
command, easiness' (65:4);
'We shall speak to him, of our command, easiness'
(18:88);
'God desires to lighten things for you, for the human
being has been created weak' (94:28).
In addition to the Quran, the Hadith
literature is also replete with references exhorting us to adopt
a balanced and simple approach to life. Prophet Muhammad (saw)
has advised us: 'This Deen or way of life is easy But if anyone
overdoes it, it gets the better of him. So keep to the right
course, approximate to perfection, rejoice, and ask for help in
the mornings, the evenings, and some of the latter part of the
night' (Bukhari). The Prophet (saw) has also praised those who
adopt a moderate approach to 'ibadah or worship. Ibadab, he
said, should be done with freshness of heart, not an exhausting
routine carried out in spite of fatigue.
'Do those deeds which you can do
easily, as Allah will not get tired [of giving rewards]
till you get bored and tired [of performing good deeds!
... and the most beloved deed to Allah is the one which
is done regularly even if it is little' (Bukhari).
Islam is not Complex
Islam is not a way of life that is complex or
difficult. Rather it is the human being who practises Islam who
often makes it difficult-and then, complexity overtakes him so
that eventually he is unable to cope with even the simplest of
tasks. That it is possible for every person to understand and
practice Islam is assured by the following three principles:
Firstly, the basic beliefs contain no mystery
and are therefore easy to comprehend. Every tenet in Islam is
subject to analysis and inquiry. Moreover, Islam does not
present stumbling blocks to the mind. Islam does not present
concepts or ideas which the intellect cannot grasp. Even the
simplest of minds can understand its basic beliefs. It is
therefore not surprising that its beliefs are universal.
Secondly, the most important and stringent
obligations ordained upon Muslims are easy to undertake. That
is, the duties and obligations laid down by Allah have been
graded. And, it is the wisdom of Allah that the greater the
importance He has attached to any act, the easier it is for
everyone to accomplish it. Thus, for example, the five daily
Salat (Prayers) and Sawm (fasting) during the month of Ramadan
are compulsory upon everyone, since they are within every-one 5
reach to accomplish. Zakat (almsgiving) and Hajj (pilgrimage),
on the other hand, though fundamental pillars of Islam, are not
compulsory upon everyone. If it were made compulsory upon
everyone, then those who did not possess the financial means
would be unable to carry out these duties. In such cases, it
would not have been possible for everyone to practice Islam in
all its facets. Therefore, these duties are obligatory only upon
those who have the means to do so.
Thirdly, there are provisions for derogation
when it is genuinely not possible for someone to fulfil an
obligation. For instance, if a person is genuinely unable to
stand up and pray, then he is permitted to sit down or even lie
down and pray. Similarly, if there is no water available to
perform the wudu or ablution before prayer, then one can make
tayammum, which is a simple dry ablution performed by using
clean earth or dust. Therefore, even when there appear to be
difficulties, if one looks closely at the Shari'ah or Islamic
legal code as a whole, one will find so many rules relating to
derogation that enable one to practice Islam very easily-and
this is the case regardless of the problem: political, economic
or simply personal. Indeed, throughout the Quran various
provisions have been made to ease things for travelers, for the
sick, for pregnant or nursing women, for the old and for the
poor, for on no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it
can bear (7: 42) and 'He has chosen
you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion'
(22: 78).
Therefore, as long as one possesses the basic
tools-a sound knowledge of what is stated in the Shari'ah
regarding a particular matter and an awareness of the
responsibility for ones own actions-a person may decide for
himself when to derogate from the standard. Thus, although
according to the Shari'ah it is haram (or unlawful) to eat pork,
if someone is on the brink of starvation and the only food
available is this pork, then one can decide for oneself whether
and when to consume this haram meat in order to survive, and
thereby derogate from the standard. Of course, this does not
make the pork halal or lawful, but neither will one be punished
for committing a haram or prohibited act, so long as it is
necessary for one's essential well being as a Muslim.
The Path of Moderation
Moderation which leads to balance, is a
fundamental and distinguishing feature of Islam. Allah tells us:
'We have made you a nation justly
balanced' (2:143).
Additionally, when the Quranic verse 'As to monasticism which
they themselves invented, We did not prescribe any of it for
them' (57: 27) was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad
commented: 'Do not overburden yourselves, lest you perish.
People [before you] overburdened themselves and perished. Their
remains are found in hermitages and monasteries' (Musnad of Abu
Ya'la). In other words, excesses may eventually develop into
large problems and even become a threat to the well being and
security of the Muslim community.
Indeed, the Prophet always resisted any
tendency towards religious excessiveness. He once said to his
close Companion Abdullah ibn 'Amr: 'Have I heard tight that you
fast everyday and stand in prayer all night?' Abdullah replied,
'Yes, 0 Messenger of God: The Prophet said, 'Do not do that.
Fast, as well as, eat and drink. Stand in prayer, as well as,
sleep. This is because your body has a right upon you, your eyes
have a right upon you, your wife has a right upon you, and your
guest has a right upon you (Bukhari, Muslim). Abiding by the
will of Allah requires that we seek and maintain a delicate
balance between the various obligations that demand our
attention; between our obligations to Allah, our obligations
towards others and our obligations towards ourselves. Moreover,
whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he
always chose the easier, unless it was explicitly forbidden (Bukhari).
Maintaining a Joyful Disposition
Allah wants us to enjoy ourselves not only in
the Hereafter but also in this world. Allah tells us in the
Quran to pray for both 'the good in
this world and the good in the Hereafter'
(2:201).
Additionally the Quran speaks extensively
about the enjoyment of life:
'O children of Adam! Wear your
beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer Eat
and drink but waste not by excess, for Allah loves not
wasters. Say: 'who has forbidden the beautiful gifts of
Allah which He has produced for His servants and the
things clean and pure which He has provided for
sustenance' (7:30-301).
And again,
'O you who believe! Make not unlawful
the good things Allah has made lawful to you. But commit
no excess, for Allah does not like those given to
excess. Eat of the things which Allah has provided you,
lawful and good, but fear Allah, in whom you believe'
(4: 86-88).
Surprising as it may seem to some of us, the
Prophet not only accepted jokes; he also told them himself He
was cheerful and possessed an easygoing character He was always
smiling at his Companions and enjoyed their conversations. He
also possessed a very keen sense of humor. But, his jokes were
more of a philosophical nature, never inappropriate and always
true. For example, once an old lady went to the Prophet and
asked whether after her death she would enter Paradise or not.
To this the Prophet replied, 'No old woman would enter heaven'.
On hearing this, the woman was naturally very sad. 'Then, what
is the reward for them?' she asked. The Prophet relieved her
anxiety by saying, 'All old people will be made young before
they enter Paradise.'
Relaxing your Mind
From the analysis above, it should be clear
that Islam does not expect of any individual that he should
spend all his leisure time in the mosque or at home and should
listen to nothing but recitation of the Quran, or for that
matter, be engaged in exclusively 'religious' pursuits. Rather,
it recognizes that we are human beings, so that, as we eat and
drink, and also need to relax and enjoy our-selves.
Relaxation is not at odds with piety and
dignity. The Prophet prayed and engaged in worship more than
anyone, but he also enjoyed good things, smiled and joked.
Indeed, in his prayers he would beseech Allah for the good
things of this world. Relaxing the mind also has the additional
benefit of resting and rejuvenating the body so that when we
eventually return to fulfil out various obligations, we will be
more focused and ready All ibn Abu Talib once said: 'Minds get
tired, so do bodies, so treat them with humor' and 'Refresh your
minds from time to time, for a tired mind becomes blind'.
Another Companion of the Prophet, Abu Darda said: 'I entertain
my heart with something trivial in order to make it stronger in
the service of the truth'.
As we have highlighted before, the approach of
the Prophet to life's activities was always a balanced one. As
devoted as he was in his personal worship, he was quick to
indicate to his followers that the path of Islam is the way of
moderation. Thus, when he heard that one of his attendants was
continuously fasting during the day and spending the entire
night in prayer, he remarked: 'In every deed [of action] there
is a peak followed by lassitude. He who, in his lassitude,
follows my Sunnah [the part of moderation] is on the right path,
but he who, in his lassitude, follows another [guidance] has
[erred and] gone astray [from the straight path Allah has
revealed]' (al Bazzaz)
Making Islam Easy for Others
In sharing the message of Islam with people
the Prophet was advised in the Quran: 'It is part of the
mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them If you were severe
or hardhearted, they would have broken away from you' (3:
159). Thus, when the Prophet sent his Companions Mu'adh and Abu
Musa to teach Islam to the people of Yemen, he gave them the
following advice: 'Facilitate [religious matters to people] and
do not make [things] difficult. Obey each other and do not
differ [amongst yourselves].' (Bukhari & Muslim).
On other occasions he also said: 'This Deen or
way of life is easy'; 'Make it easy, don't make it difficult;
'Let people rejoice in being Muslims and not run away from it'
and 'Cheerfulness towards other people, even a smile is a
sadaqah or charity to be rewarded by Allah'.
Moreover, a person-in seeking to purify
himself and further develop his God-consciousness-may choose to
place greater demands of worship upon himself, but this in no
way means that he has the right to impose or force the same on
others, and thereby, unconsciously alienate them from Islam. The
Prophet exemplified this in his own life because he used to
prolong the Salat whenever he was alone, but he would shorten it
whenever he led others in Salah. Regarding this he said:
'Whoever among you leads the people in Salat, he should shorten
it, for amongst them are the weak, the old, and the one who has
business to attend to. And if anyone among you performs Salat
alone, he may then prolong [Salat] as much as he wishes' (Bukhari).
Similarly, 'Umar Ibn al Khattab emphasized
that creating unnecessary difficulties for people may well have
the effect of leading them away from Allah, rather than making
them better Muslims. He advised: 'Do not make Allah hateful to
His servants by leading people in Salat and so prolonging it
that they come to hate what they are doing'
Ease versus Hardship
To say, however, that Islam is easy and not
'difficult', is not to imply that Muslims will not face
'hardship'-and here the two terms must be distinguished. Indeed,
although Islam is easy to understand and practice, the whole
purpose of the trial is to make manifest the degree to which an
individual is steadfast (and hence sincere) in his submission to
Allah- and this is precisely what is indicated by the Quranic
verse: 'And We will most certainly test
you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of possessions
and lives and crops' (2:155).
Notwithstanding these
trials however, we can find ease in this world and the next.
But, this will be so only if we are firm in our faith in Allah
and follow the course prescribed by Islam, as He Himself has
declared: 'But give good news to those who are patient, who,
when a calamity strikes them, say: 'Indeed we belong to God and
indeed to Him we shall be returning: They are those on whom are
blessings from their Sustainer, and mercy-and those, they are
the rightly-guided. (2: 155-157).
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