Friday Nasiha

General

Translation:

Surah al-Nisaa' (The Women)
Chapter 4: Verse 28

"God desires to lighten things for you,
for the human being has been created weak."

Commentary

Islam is not Complex

Islam is not a way of life that is complex, difficult, or impractical. Rather it is the person who practises Islam with either

(1) an imbalanced or inadequate understanding of the fundamental principles ('usool) and the secondary disciplines (furoo'), or
(2) a lack of discipline, organization and consistency (istiqamah), or
(3) misplaced priorities and tendency towards extremes (ghuluw),

that often makes it difficult. This makes his or her practise so complicated and burdensome, that they are overwhelmed and eventually are unable to fulfill the most basic duties.

Note that any Muslim can suffer from the above at some stage in their life and to different extents, so it is not just an affliction of the 'weak in Iman' or 'ignorant'. Even the most sincere and hard-working Muslim may find themself encountering difficulty and frustration if they are lacking proper understanding, organization, and prioritization.

Al-Yusra: The Easy and Natural Way

One of the terms used by the Qur'an during the early Makkan period to describe Islam was al-Yusraa, or 'The Easy Way' [65:4]. This is simply because Islam was, and is, the natural way of life and hence causes human beings to gravitate towards it easily. Islam consequently brings harmony, peace and tranquillity to their lives.

What Makes Islam Simple to Understand & Practice?

FIRSTLY, the basic beliefs of Islam are not shrouded in mystery and hence forever beyond human comprehension. Every tenet in Islam can be analyzed and inquired about, by young children or seasoned philosophers. Moreover, Islam does not present concepts which the intellect cannot grasp (e.g. the "Trinity"). It is therefore not surprising that its beliefs are universal.

SECONDLY, the most important and stringent obligations ordained by Allah upon Muslims are easy to undertake and graded according to effort. 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, the example of the five daily Salah (Prayers) and Sawm (fasting) as compulsory upon everyone, but Zakah(almsgiving) and Hajj (pilgrimage), though fundamental pillars of Islam, only compulsory on those with the means.

THIRDLY, Islamic law offers provisions, concessions and dispensations 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 or she is permitted to sit down or even lie down and pray. Similarly, if there is no water available to perform the Wudu (ablution) before prayer, then one can make Tayammum.

No Excuses

Hence, for the Muslim who sincerely wants to come closer to Allah, he and she will find many doors open for them in God's religion to facilitate their growth and cover their weaknesses. For them is the Easy Way.

But for the Muslim who is looking for an excuse of difficulty or incapacity, they will only frustrate themselves further in looking for external causes for their state.

[parts compiled from "Islam: The Easy Way" by Ustadh Khurram Murad (1932-1996)]

• literally means 'to intend to do a thing', a beautiful term for the practise it refers to
• as an Islamic legal term, it refers to wiping one's hands and face with clean earth as a substitution for Wudu' (purification with water) when the latter is not within reach
• The Prophet (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would perform it even if water could be obtained at a short distance with some difficulty, due to his desire to not delay the Prayer and in his own words: "I fear that I may not make it that far!"