Riyad al-Salihin from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: Moderation in Worship
Allah the Exalted says: ﴾Ta-Ha. We have not sent down to you the Qur'an that you be distressed.﴿
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful.” (2:185)
It is narrated from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered upon her while a woman was with her.
He asked, "Who is this?"
She replied, "This is so-and-so," and she began to describe her prayer.
He said, "Desist! You should only take upon yourselves what you are capable of bearing."
"For by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you yourselves grow weary."
The most beloved of religious acts to Him was that which its practitioner performed consistently.
Agreed upon.
"Desist" (mah) is a word of prohibition and rebuke.
The meaning of "Allah does not grow weary"
Is that He does not cease bestowing His reward upon you and recompensing your deeds.
Rather, He treats you as if you were the ones who might grow weary and abandon the deed.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to undertake only what you are capable of maintaining consistently,
So that His reward and grace upon you may continue.
"Weariness" (malal) is finding a thing burdensome and the soul feeling aversion toward it after having loved it.
"Capable of bearing" (tutiqun) means what you are able to do.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The permissibility of asking about who has entered the house, whether men or women.
The permissibility of mentioning a description in the presence of a scholar so that he may correct an error or praise what is correct.
The desirability of rebuke upon seeing something objectionable.
Changing an objectionable matter is required when one has knowledge of it and the ability to change it.
It is not permissible to delay a clarification when the need for it arises.
Exaggerating in worship beyond what the body can bear
Leads to boredom and lethargy, causing the soul to abandon it.
Moderation and balance in performing acts of worship
Are a means to sustain them and ensure steadfastness in obedience.
The most beloved of deeds and the most rewarding
Are those that are most consistent, even if they are few.
Giving the soul its due share of permissible things contains reward and merit,
Provided the intention is to gain strength for righteous deeds and the worship of Allah.
A small, consistent deed is better than a large, interrupted one.
It is narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
Three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Asking about the worship of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When they were informed, it was as if they considered it little.
They said, "Where do we stand in comparison to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?"
"For he has been forgiven all his past and future sins."
One of them said, "As for me, I will pray all night, forever."
Another said, "And I will fast every day and never break my fast."
The other said, "And I will abstain from women and never marry."
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came to them and said:
"Are you the ones who said such-and-such?"
"By Allah, I am the most fearful and the most pious of you toward Allah."
"Yet, I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women."
"So whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me." Agreed upon.
"Three men" (rahṭ) means three men.
"Considered it little" (taqalluha) means they deemed it small.
"Turns away from my Sunnah" means turns away from my path and my methodology in worship.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The desirability of following the states of the Rabbani scholars to emulate them.
If one intends a righteous deed and needs to make it known, while being safe from showing off (riya'),
That is not forbidden.
Moderation in a Sunnah is better than striving in an innovation.
The eagerness of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to increase in worship and obedience.
The desirability of beginning with praise and glorification of Allah when presenting questions of knowledge.
The desirability of marriage and the encouragement toward it.
Permissible and recommended acts may turn into forbidden ones
If they deviate from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Emulating the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in balance and moderation.
The reality of drawing near to Allah the Exalted.
Failing to adhere to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in worship
Leads to extremism, over-scrupulousness, and falling into every blameworthy prohibition.
The fundamental principle in acts of worship is that they are restricted to what is revealed (tawqif).
It is not permissible to exercise independent reasoning (ijtihad) in them based on opinion or personal preference.
One should not be deceived by certain deeds that appear to be good,
Because of the corruption that results from them due to their opposition to the correct Prophetic guidance.
This hadith is a foundational principle in invalidating innovations,
Even if the intention of those who perform them is good.
May Allah have mercy on Ibn ‘Umar, who said:
"Every innovation is a misguidance, even if people see it as something good."
From Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him:
That the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The over-scrupulous are ruined."
He said it three times.
Narrated by Muslim.
"The over-scrupulous" (al-mutanatti‘un)
Are those who delve too deeply and are overly strict where strictness is not required.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Ruin is the consequence for those who are extremist in their words and deeds.
The condemnation of affectation and grandiloquence in speech.
Harshness does not bring about anything good.
Islam is a religion of balance and moderation in words and deeds.
From Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:
From the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"Indeed, the religion is easy."
"And no one will try to outdo the religion but that it will overcome him."
"So be steadfast, be moderate, and be of good cheer."
"And seek help by [worshipping] in the early morning and the late afternoon,"
"And a portion of the night."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
And in a narration of his:
"Be steadfast and be moderate."
"Set out in the early morning and the late afternoon,"
"And a portion of the night."
"Moderation, moderation, and you will reach your goal."
His saying:
"The religion"
Is in the nominative case as the subject of a passive verb.
And it is narrated in the accusative case.
And it is narrated as "No one will try to outdo the religion."
And his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"But that it will overcome him."
Meaning, the religion will overcome him.
And that person who tries to outdo it will be unable to resist the religion due to the abundance of its paths.
"Early morning" (ghudwah) is traveling at the beginning of the day.
"Late afternoon" (rawḥah) is at the end of the day.
"Portion of the night" (duljah) is the end of the night.
This is a metaphor and an analogy.
And the meaning of:
"Seek help in the obedience of Allah the Almighty and Majestic"
By performing deeds during your time of energy
And when your hearts are free,
So that you find pleasure in worship and do not grow weary,
And you reach your goal.
Just as the skilled traveler travels during these times,
And he and his mount rest during other times,
So he reaches his destination without exhaustion.
And Allah knows best.
"Be steadfast" (saddidu)
Means adhere to the correct path.
Which is moderation in action without excess or negligence.
"Be moderate" (qaribu)
Means if you cannot achieve the most perfect state,
Then do what is closest to it.
"Moderation" (al-qasd)
Is in the accusative case as an incitement.
And his intent is:
Adhere to moderation in the matter without excess or negligence.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Islam is a religion of ease and the removal of hardship.
This is one of the characteristics of the blessed Ummah.
Anyone who is overly scrupulous in religion will be cut off.
Because excess leads to boredom.
And exaggeration in voluntary worship is followed by lethargy,
Or by abandoning what is better.
A reminder to the traveler to seek out times of energy,
For if he walks day and night,
He will become exhausted and be cut off.
For the one who pushes his mount too hard neither covers the distance nor keeps his mount alive.
But if he seeks to travel during his times of energy,
He is able to continue without hardship.
And likewise the worshiper:
Should choose times of energy for worship.
Moderation in worship
Leads to the pleasure of the Lord,
And the continuity of fulfilling His servitude.
From Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, entered the mosque,
And there was a rope stretched between two pillars.
He asked, "What is this rope?"
They said, "This is a rope for Zaynab."
"When she feels tired, she holds onto it."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Untie it."
"Let one of you pray while he is energetic."
"And when he feels tired, let him sleep."
Agreed upon.
"Pillar" (sariyah) is the column.
It is the support upon which the roof rests.
"Feels tired" (fatrat) means she became lazy in standing for prayer.
"Energetic" (nashat)
Means the period of his comfort and leisure.
From the benefits of the hadith:
Islam is a religion of ease,
And the removal of hardship and difficulty.
Voluntary prayer is permissible in the mosque for both men and women.
Removing an objectionable matter by hand
For those who are able to do so.
It is disliked for the one praying to lean
During his prayer on something.
The encouragement to be moderate in worship,
And to approach it with energy.
The permissibility of sitting during prayer
For one who is overcome by exhaustion.
Denouncing an objectionable matter should only be done after having knowledge of it.
"This is a rope for Zaynab"
The intent is Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her,
The Mother of the Believers.
From ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"If one of you becomes drowsy while praying,"
"Let him sleep until the sleep leaves him."
"For if one of you prays while he is drowsy,"
"He does not know, perhaps he intends to seek forgiveness,"
"But instead he curses himself."
Agreed upon.
"Drowsy" (na‘as) comes from drowsiness,
Which is the onset of sleep.
"Let him sleep"
Means let him stop the prayer
After finishing it, in order to sleep.
"But instead he curses himself"
Means he utters what he does not intend
Due to the overpowering of drowsiness,
So he invokes evil upon himself.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The dislike of overexerting oneself in worship.
Moderation and avoiding extremism in worship.
Adopting a precautionary approach.
Because he provided a reason based on a probable matter.
The hadith serves as evidence for the principle of blocking the means (sadd al-dhara'i').
For averting harm takes precedence over securing benefits.
The obligation of khushu' (humility and focus) in prayer.
And the presence of the heart during worship.
And distancing oneself from whatever detracts from that.
The recommendation of supplication during prayer.
Without being restricted to any specific wording.
The removal of sin from one who says something he does not intend.
And upon which his heart has not resolved.
Such as this drowsiness.
Or someone who was distracted by astonishment.
On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah.
Jabir ibn Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I used to pray the prayers with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
His prayer was of moderate length.
And his sermon was of moderate length.
Narrated by Muslim.
His statement "of moderate length."
Meaning between being too long and too short.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, would lighten the prayer and the sermon.
Out of mercy for those praying.
For among them are the sick and those with pressing needs.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
Was given the gift of concise speech.
Yet he would not go to extremes in brevity.
Moderation in all matters is a cause for consistency in obedience and avoiding interruption.
Riyad al-Salihin.