The Forty Hadiths of al-Nawawi
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sakhr, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
"Whatever I have forbidden you, avoid it, and whatever I have commanded you, perform of it as much as you are able."
For those who came before you were only destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disagreement with their prophets.
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
This hadith establishes a great principle in the Sharia.
It is that abandoning prohibited matters is an absolute obligation.
As for fulfilling commands, it is according to a person’s capacity and ability.
This is because Islam is a religion of ease and mercy, and it does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.
The hadith also clarifies that excessive questioning and rigidity can be a cause of hardship.
Therefore, a Muslim should adhere to what the Sharia has brought without extremism or complication.
And one should act in obedience as much as one is able, while being diligent in avoiding sins.