Praise be to Allāh, the One Infinite in Wisdom and Knowledge, the Most Merciful and Ever Merciful, the One who created us and moulded us and thus He knows every single one of us better than we know ourselves. And May Peace and Blessings be upon His Messenger and upon his family and companions. To proceed: O you who have believed! Fear Allāh the way He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Allāh.
Allāh did not create us aimlessly. He created us with a purpose, and that is to worship Him. However, He did not want that worshipping him become a burdensome task. So from His Infinite Wisdom and Knowledge, He set out for us a way of life by which we could worship Him, a way of life best suited to the nature of the human being, a way of life neither too difficult nor too lax, a way of life of moderation. Allāh says:
"Allāh intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" (Qur’ān 2:185)
"Allāh does not want to place you in difficulty" (Qur’ān 5:6).
To demonstrate the easiness and practicality of this way of life, He sent to us a human messenger, not an angel, a messenger biologically identical to us, a role model whose example we can relate to and emulate. This was none other than the Messenger ﷺ. And it wasn't just the Prophet ﷺ who demonstrated this. Think about it: if this dīn really was a difficult one, would've it survived to this day? Would the billions of people who have practised this dīn over 1400 years have been able to pass down such a difficult way of life to their children? Hence, we see that dīn truly is easy.
But some of you might ask: why do I find it so difficult at times? Why are there so many rules and restrictions I must follow? Why is it such an overwhelming way of life? The five daily prayers. The food. The ḥijāb. The interaction with opposite gender. The fact that there's rules for everything, even for going to the toilet and cutting your nails. “Why”, you may ask yourself?
There are several possible reasons for this, but only three shall be mentioned. The first one is a lack of taqwā and love of Allāh, combined with laziness. Yes, Islam is an easy religion in its rituals and requirements. But remember, Islam is a religion, a way of life, which by definition entails a commitment to a Supreme Being, i.e. Allāh. Islam is something we have to commit ourselves to. We see that many people who say Islam is "difficult" want an Islam where one has to do nothing; they define "easy" as "doing nothing". However, know that Allāh wants something from you, and that is obedience and commitment. Know that His obedience is easy, though some may find it difficult, however this doesn't mean that obedience in itself is difficult; the problem usually lies within the person himself, within their hearts, hearts which are lacking in taqwā and love of Allāh, hearts lazy and uninclined to the worship of their Creator.
The second reason is a lack of knowledge. People who find difficulty with Islam may have an incorrect understanding of Islam. Or they may not realise how easy the rules of Islam are to follow. E.g., the general principle with regards to worldly things is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise, not the other way round as some people may have it. Or they may be unaware of wisdom behind certain acts. An example is charity, which apparently decreases wealth. However, Allāh says:
"If you loan Allāh a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you." (Qur’ān 64:17)
And there's the ḥadīth: "Verily, wealth does not decrease because of charity." (Narrated by Muslim). You won’t find anyone who’s gone poor from giving charity. So realise that behind every command and prohibition there is a wisdom behind it. Without understanding this, practising Islam becomes a heavy burden. However, for some commands or prohibitions, these wisdoms may not be too apparent, like the prohibition for men to wear gold and silk for example. In cases like these, the attitude of the true Mu'min should be one of following the orders of Allāh without question, seeking His pleasure, even though the justification for such orders may not be clear, remembering that Allāh is the One who created us and thus knows us better than we know ourselves and that He knows what is better for us more than we do. If pleasing Allāh is always our aim, then undoubtedly the practice of religion becomes easy, no matter what apparent hardships we may encounter.
The third reason, is the bad environment you’re in. In a society where we are bombarded with ḥarām – foul language, obscene images and videos, interest, alcohol, gambling, ḥarām music –, it does make some sort of sense that practising the dīn becomes hard, even for those who strive to commit to it. But remember that in times like this where practising the dīn becomes difficult, those that do manage to cling on to the Qur’ān and Sunnah await for themselves an immense reward. Remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “...After you there will come days during which being patient will be like holding on to a live coal. The one who strives during those days will have a reward like that of fifty men who strive as you do.” (Narrated by Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah) And also remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange as it began. So, glad tidings for the strangers.” He was asked: “Messenger of Allāh, who are the strangers?” He replied: “Those who are righteous when the people are corrupt.” (Narrated by Aḥmad). And in another narration, “A tiny group of righteous people in the midst of a large number of corrupted people. Those who go against them are more than those who go along with them.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhī). May Allāh make us from these strangers!
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Praise be to Allāh, Lord of the Worlds, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger and upon his family and companions. To proceed: O mankind! Fear Allāh, obey Him and do good. Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.
Know that whatever life throws at you, you are able to overcome it. Allāh says:
“Allāh does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.” (Qur’ān 2:286)
This is especially true with regards to the dīn; whatever Allāh has prescribed for you, you are able to do it. However, remember that just because this dīn is simple and not burdensome doesn't mean that life will be a breeze for the Muslim. Remember that Allāh will test each and every one of us in one way or another. So even though Islam is easy to practise if you commit to it, your level of commitment will be tested by Allāh.
Remember that Islam is a religion that conforms with human nature; Allāh does not ask us to do what we are incapable of doing. Know that Shayṭān beautifies evil deeds and the following of vain desires, things that are of no benefit to us, whilst presenting good deeds, things that will actually benefit us, as boring and difficult, thus making us lazy. Yet, if one is able to take the first step in overcoming this, he will find out for himself the inner peace that good deeds bring out and how easy they are to perform, and he will be able to see the evils involved in committing sins.
Allāh did not create us aimlessly. He created us with a purpose, and that is to worship Him. However, He did not want that worshipping him become a burdensome task. So from His Infinite Wisdom and Knowledge, He set out for us a way of life by which we could worship Him, a way of life best suited to the nature of the human being, a way of life neither too difficult nor too lax, a way of life of moderation. Allāh says:
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ
To demonstrate the easiness and practicality of this way of life, He sent to us a human messenger, not an angel, a messenger biologically identical to us, a role model whose example we can relate to and emulate. This was none other than the Messenger ﷺ. And it wasn't just the Prophet ﷺ who demonstrated this. Think about it: if this dīn really was a difficult one, would've it survived to this day? Would the billions of people who have practised this dīn over 1400 years have been able to pass down such a difficult way of life to their children? Hence, we see that dīn truly is easy.
But some of you might ask: why do I find it so difficult at times? Why are there so many rules and restrictions I must follow? Why is it such an overwhelming way of life? The five daily prayers. The food. The ḥijāb. The interaction with opposite gender. The fact that there's rules for everything, even for going to the toilet and cutting your nails. “Why”, you may ask yourself?
There are several possible reasons for this, but only three shall be mentioned. The first one is a lack of taqwā and love of Allāh, combined with laziness. Yes, Islam is an easy religion in its rituals and requirements. But remember, Islam is a religion, a way of life, which by definition entails a commitment to a Supreme Being, i.e. Allāh. Islam is something we have to commit ourselves to. We see that many people who say Islam is "difficult" want an Islam where one has to do nothing; they define "easy" as "doing nothing". However, know that Allāh wants something from you, and that is obedience and commitment. Know that His obedience is easy, though some may find it difficult, however this doesn't mean that obedience in itself is difficult; the problem usually lies within the person himself, within their hearts, hearts which are lacking in taqwā and love of Allāh, hearts lazy and uninclined to the worship of their Creator.
The second reason is a lack of knowledge. People who find difficulty with Islam may have an incorrect understanding of Islam. Or they may not realise how easy the rules of Islam are to follow. E.g., the general principle with regards to worldly things is that everything is permissible unless proven otherwise, not the other way round as some people may have it. Or they may be unaware of wisdom behind certain acts. An example is charity, which apparently decreases wealth. However, Allāh says:
إِن تُقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفْهُ لَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ
And there's the ḥadīth: "Verily, wealth does not decrease because of charity." (Narrated by Muslim). You won’t find anyone who’s gone poor from giving charity. So realise that behind every command and prohibition there is a wisdom behind it. Without understanding this, practising Islam becomes a heavy burden. However, for some commands or prohibitions, these wisdoms may not be too apparent, like the prohibition for men to wear gold and silk for example. In cases like these, the attitude of the true Mu'min should be one of following the orders of Allāh without question, seeking His pleasure, even though the justification for such orders may not be clear, remembering that Allāh is the One who created us and thus knows us better than we know ourselves and that He knows what is better for us more than we do. If pleasing Allāh is always our aim, then undoubtedly the practice of religion becomes easy, no matter what apparent hardships we may encounter.
The third reason, is the bad environment you’re in. In a society where we are bombarded with ḥarām – foul language, obscene images and videos, interest, alcohol, gambling, ḥarām music –, it does make some sort of sense that practising the dīn becomes hard, even for those who strive to commit to it. But remember that in times like this where practising the dīn becomes difficult, those that do manage to cling on to the Qur’ān and Sunnah await for themselves an immense reward. Remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “...After you there will come days during which being patient will be like holding on to a live coal. The one who strives during those days will have a reward like that of fifty men who strive as you do.” (Narrated by Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah) And also remember the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ where he said: “Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange as it began. So, glad tidings for the strangers.” He was asked: “Messenger of Allāh, who are the strangers?” He replied: “Those who are righteous when the people are corrupt.” (Narrated by Aḥmad). And in another narration, “A tiny group of righteous people in the midst of a large number of corrupted people. Those who go against them are more than those who go along with them.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhī). May Allāh make us from these strangers!
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Praise be to Allāh, Lord of the Worlds, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger and upon his family and companions. To proceed: O mankind! Fear Allāh, obey Him and do good. Indeed, Allāh is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good.
Know that whatever life throws at you, you are able to overcome it. Allāh says:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
This is especially true with regards to the dīn; whatever Allāh has prescribed for you, you are able to do it. However, remember that just because this dīn is simple and not burdensome doesn't mean that life will be a breeze for the Muslim. Remember that Allāh will test each and every one of us in one way or another. So even though Islam is easy to practise if you commit to it, your level of commitment will be tested by Allāh.
Remember that Islam is a religion that conforms with human nature; Allāh does not ask us to do what we are incapable of doing. Know that Shayṭān beautifies evil deeds and the following of vain desires, things that are of no benefit to us, whilst presenting good deeds, things that will actually benefit us, as boring and difficult, thus making us lazy. Yet, if one is able to take the first step in overcoming this, he will find out for himself the inner peace that good deeds bring out and how easy they are to perform, and he will be able to see the evils involved in committing sins.
