Making things easy

Have you ever signed up for a gym, made a strict plan to go everyday, decided to follow a rigorous new diet, and then... nothing happens. Why don’t we stick to our resolutions? The problem is likely - do to the fact that we aren’t machines. Therefore, when we pile up expectations on ourselves, it is very easy to get overwhelmed.

We should keep this in mind when it comes to religion. When I first reverted to Islam, I think that I overburdened myself a lot. For example, I went to Hajj just a few months after my reversion, which was a big ordeal. I also went to extremes trying to make my fasting and prayers perfect. I spent a lot of energy trying to get my friends and family to revert to Islam. I got through it, but when I look back, I think I could have achieved better results if I had started with a more reasonable mindset.

Now when I meet new Muslims, which is often because I work at the TIES Center, I always give them the same advice; it is a big step in their life and they should be careful that they don’t overdue it. My friend once told me that if Satan can’t stop you from doing something (like praying or helping others), he will try to make you go to extremes in that thing. Although, I don’t think this is specifically mentioned within the Islamic religion, I am sure that we can all relate to this anecdote.

In Kuwait, there is a nice saying which says that we should hold the stick from the middle. It means that we should try to be balanced and reasonable, as much as possible. Islam is supposed to be a religion of mercy, graciousness, understanding and ease (among other things). We aren’t supposed to burden ourselves or others with undue hardship. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Religion is easy, and no one overburdens himself in his religion except that he will be unable to continue in that way.” The reference for this hadith can be found in Al-Bukhaari (39) and Muslim (2816).