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مسند الشهاب
Musnad Shihab
Hadiths 201 to 400
مَنْ يُشَادَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ يَغْلِبْهُWhoever tries to overburden this religion, it will overcome him
Hadith 398
اُردوEn
398 - أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عُمَرَ التُّجِيبِيُّ، أبنا أَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ، ثنا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، ثنا عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جَوْشَنٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ يُشَادَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ يَغْلِبْهُ»
Sayyiduna Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever adopts a harsh way in this religion, then this (religion) will overpower him."
Brief Explanation
Explanation: -
Moderation should be adopted in all matters, because the best deed is that which can be performed consistently, even if it is small in quantity. The aforementioned hadith points to this very matter: that the one who chooses a harsh path in religion, abandons ease and follows difficulty, and adopts strictness (azimah) in place of the legal concession (rukhsah), will ultimately be overcome, and after a short period will begin to fall short in his regular practices. Therefore, follow the religion according to your strength and capacity so that you can maintain it throughout your life, and do not impose hardship upon yourself lest you become weary, bored, or incapable, because when anything is burdened beyond its capacity, it becomes helpless. Consider: if someone thinks, “I will fast every day and stand in prayer every night, and live a life of celibacy,” how long will he be able to maintain this? Due to continuous fasting and standing in prayer, his weakness will only increase, and he will not be able to continue this practice.
Therefore, one should act according to one’s strength and capacity. Allah Ta’ala also repeatedly declares this:
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾ (al-Baqarah: 286)
“Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.”
All the obligatory acts are within the scope of human strength and capacity, and similarly is the matter of prohibited things. Therefore, in acting upon these, strictness will indeed be observed: the obligations will be performed with diligence, and the prohibitions will be avoided in every circumstance. However, in those matters where choice and concession have been given, adopting a harsh path in their practice is in no way commendable. Consider the background of the hadith:
Sayyiduna Buraydah radi Allahu anhu says that one day I left my house to relieve myself, and suddenly I saw that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was also going. I thought that he was going to relieve himself, so I began to distance myself from him. While I was doing this, he saw me and signaled for me to come to him. I presented myself to him, and he took my hand, and we began to walk together. Suddenly, we saw a man in front of us who was praying and performing many bowings (ruku) and prostrations (sujud). The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “What do you think, is he showing off?” I replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He says that the Prophet let go of my hand and gestured with both hands in front of him three times, raising his hands and then lowering them, and said: “Adopt the middle path, choose the path of moderation, you should adopt moderation, because whoever adopts harshness in this religion, this religion will overcome him.” [ابن خزيمه : 179 ، صحيح]
Consider another hadith of similar meaning: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “No doubt, the religion is easy, and whoever adopts harshness in the religion, this religion will overcome him. So keep your deeds correct, and as much as possible, adopt moderation and be happy, and seek benefit (barakah) through worship in the morning, evening, and a part of the night.” [بخاري : 39]
Just as abandoning the legal concession (rukhsah) and adopting strictness (azimah) is extremism, similarly, abandoning the original religion and adopting innovations (bid‘ah) and customs is also extremism.
Moderation should be adopted in all matters, because the best deed is that which can be performed consistently, even if it is small in quantity. The aforementioned hadith points to this very matter: that the one who chooses a harsh path in religion, abandons ease and follows difficulty, and adopts strictness (azimah) in place of the legal concession (rukhsah), will ultimately be overcome, and after a short period will begin to fall short in his regular practices. Therefore, follow the religion according to your strength and capacity so that you can maintain it throughout your life, and do not impose hardship upon yourself lest you become weary, bored, or incapable, because when anything is burdened beyond its capacity, it becomes helpless. Consider: if someone thinks, “I will fast every day and stand in prayer every night, and live a life of celibacy,” how long will he be able to maintain this? Due to continuous fasting and standing in prayer, his weakness will only increase, and he will not be able to continue this practice.
Therefore, one should act according to one’s strength and capacity. Allah Ta’ala also repeatedly declares this:
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾ (al-Baqarah: 286)
“Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.”
All the obligatory acts are within the scope of human strength and capacity, and similarly is the matter of prohibited things. Therefore, in acting upon these, strictness will indeed be observed: the obligations will be performed with diligence, and the prohibitions will be avoided in every circumstance. However, in those matters where choice and concession have been given, adopting a harsh path in their practice is in no way commendable. Consider the background of the hadith:
Sayyiduna Buraydah radi Allahu anhu says that one day I left my house to relieve myself, and suddenly I saw that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was also going. I thought that he was going to relieve himself, so I began to distance myself from him. While I was doing this, he saw me and signaled for me to come to him. I presented myself to him, and he took my hand, and we began to walk together. Suddenly, we saw a man in front of us who was praying and performing many bowings (ruku) and prostrations (sujud). The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “What do you think, is he showing off?” I replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He says that the Prophet let go of my hand and gestured with both hands in front of him three times, raising his hands and then lowering them, and said: “Adopt the middle path, choose the path of moderation, you should adopt moderation, because whoever adopts harshness in this religion, this religion will overcome him.” [ابن خزيمه : 179 ، صحيح]
Consider another hadith of similar meaning: Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “No doubt, the religion is easy, and whoever adopts harshness in the religion, this religion will overcome him. So keep your deeds correct, and as much as possible, adopt moderation and be happy, and seek benefit (barakah) through worship in the morning, evening, and a part of the night.” [بخاري : 39]
Just as abandoning the legal concession (rukhsah) and adopting strictness (azimah) is extremism, similarly, abandoning the original religion and adopting innovations (bid‘ah) and customs is also extremism.
