Remember, God Has Ordered What Is Easy.

The religious knowledge most people possess is based on what they have heard since their childhood. Because they haven’t learned about religion from its real source, that is the Qur’an, they are a prey to many superstitions and foolish thoughts about religion. One of the most harmful of these beliefs is that it is hard to be religious: this is completely fallacious.

Those who have aimed at causing religion to deviate from its essence and tried to prevent religion from being practiced, have throughout history, attempted to add on many difficult practices and superstitions to it. With the practices they have invented, they have caused people to move away from religion, intentionally or unintentionally.

However, the information set forth by God in the Qur’an and the traditions of our Prophet (saas) teach us that it is very easy for sincere people to practice religion.

God, Who knows human beings better than anyone else and Who is closer to them than their jugular veins, has created a religion appropriate to their characteristics. God states in the following verse that humans are called to the most appropriate religion, which is best suited to their character:

Therefore, stand firm in your devotion to the true Faith, as a pure natural believer, following God’s natural pattern on which He made mankind. There is no changing God’s creation. That is surely the true Religion—but most people do not know it. (Qur’an, 30:30)

As a result of our God’s compassion and kindness, all of the true religions sent down through the ages have possessed commandments which are easy to carry out, because, God has always wished ease for His devotees.

The verse

“… God desires your well-being” (Qur’an, 2: 185)

records this reality. One who obeys the limits specified by God is also one who lives in the most excellent way the life most suited to his characteristics.

Those who fear God and who fulfil God’s commands without any shortcomings are in a position of great advantage in this world and the next. Above all, they experience spiritual pleasure and have the clear conscience of obeying God. There are always glad tidings and beauty for them. God gives good news to those who seek His approval and who protect His boundaries:

Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise, those who fast, those who bow, those who prostrate themselves, those who enjoin the right, and forbid evil and, those who observe the commandments of God shall be richly rewarded. (Qur’an, 9:112)

Those, who are remiss in upholding God’s constraints, contrary to their conscience, or who see faith as horrid and infidelity as good, will face hardships and difficulties in this life and in the Hereafter. God tells us in one of His verses

… Those are God’s limits, and anyone who oversteps God’s limits has wronged himself… (Qur’an, 65:1)

By showing things that are not forbidden as being prohibited, such people think that it is their privilege to make up other prohibitions. What's more, they do not comply as they should with the rules they lay down and so suffer because of their conscience. On this topic God gives the example of Christians, who altered Christianity after Jesus (peace be upon him):

Then We sent Our Messengers following in their footsteps and sent Jesus the son of Maryam after them, giving him the Gospel. We put compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. As for monasticism, they instituted it themselves—We did not prescribe it for them. (Qur'an, 57:27)

God, therefore, warns believers against this danger and declares in the Qur’an that those who go extremes in religion have strayed from the true religion:

Say: “People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion, asserting other than the truth, and do not yield to the whims and desires of people who were misguided previously and have misguided many others, and have themselves strayed far from the right path.” (Qur'an, 5:77)

The only rule that the individual has to follow is to carry out the commands set forth by God in the Qur’an and to abstain from whatever is prohibited. When God decrees everything to be easy to believers, those who try to make religion harder will have to account for their behaviour on Judgment Day. As is true of all else, our Prophet 's (saas) life and practices are a good example for us. In one of his traditions, the Prophet (saas) reminds believers not to abandon and at the same time not to exceed God’s boundaries and states that religion is easy.

"Religion is simple. No one can be severe against religion. For he will be defeated. (That is to say, that one should conform to religion’s ease. Whoever tries to be firm will be helpless). Straighten your line of conduct, be close to the boundary/end." (Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol 1, p 98)

People should evaluate religion in the manner of the tradition of the Prophet (saas), as mentioned above. That is to say, it is a mistake to show what God has conveyed as easy and straightforward and that can be easily implemented as difficult and incomprehensible. In fact, God has made the commands

He sets forth in the Qur’an, so easy that everyone in every situation and environment can easily comply with them.

Holy Qur'an - A Guide To Mankind

In the name of Allah The Most Beneficent The Most Merciful

We did not send down the Qur’an to you to make you miserable, but only as a reminder for those who have fear. (Qur'an, 20:2, 3)

In order for all of humankind to find the truth, to reach the absolute reality, and acquire knowledge about religion, God has sent down holy books and prophets to convey and explain these books, throughout history. The last book God sent down, as a guide to humankind, was the Qur’an.

In one verse the attribute of the Qur’an as a guidebook is explained as:

Previously, as guidance for mankind, He sent down the Torah and the Gospel (Furqan). Those who reject God’s Signs will have a terrible punishment. God is Almighty, Exactor of Revenge. (Qur'an, 3:4)

The books sent down prior to the Qur’an, have all been tampered with by polytheists and opponents of religion. These books have been adulterated by the addition of superstitions and false beliefs.

But, God has adjudicated clearly in His verses that only the last Holy book, the Qur’an, will not be corrupted and that it will be protected till Judgment Day:

It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (the Quran) and We Who will preserve it. (Qur’an, 15:9)

Falsehood cannot reach it from before it or behind it—it is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise, and Praiseworthy. (Qur’an, 41:42)

Believers, who know that the Qur’an will be valid and protected till Doomsday, live with this comfort and confidence. The Qur’an is a book one can fully trust its every command and decree, and follow without experiencing any resentment or doubt in his heart or conscience. For people to have such a “trustworthy” guide is a great blessing and mercy given by God.

In one of His verses, God informs us of the importance of the Qur’an to believers:

We have sent down the Book to you which manifests the truth about all things and as guidance and mercy and good news for Muslims. (Qur’an, 16:89)

Every type of question that can be asked by different people about religion is answered in the Qur’an.

God states this in one of His verses:

Every time they come to you with a difficult point, We bring you the truth and the best of explanations. (Qur'an, 25:33)

As all knowledge about religion is provided in the Qur’an, this leaves no room for dispute whatever the subject.

God tells us that one of the purposes for the revelation of the Qur’an is to clarify issues that people disagree on:

We have only sent down the Book to you so that you can make clear to them the things about which they differ, and as a guidance and a mercy to people who believe. (Qur'an, 16:64)

The Qur’an is a book that is very clearly comprehensive and which appeals to everyone. As a result, on Judgment Day when people are giving their account of all the things they did, they cannot put forward the excuse that nobody had informed them of what was right or wrong or that they were unaware of certain precepts. God, by the mediation of the Qur’an, warns people in the best possible way and informs them of the most vital issues pertaining to their lives.

Again for the sake of simplicity, God explains His points in a variety of ways so that people may fully comprehend them. God thus makes known to us this style of the Qur’an:

We have brought them a Book elucidating everything with knowledge, as guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Qur'an, 7:52)

Look how We explain the Signs with various symbols so that hopefully they will understand. (Qur'an, 6:65)

In spite of these declarations of God, the error that most people generally fall into is thinking that the Qur’an cannot be understood by everyone. Most people think that they need to be educated for many years to be able to read, understand, and live by the teachings of the Qur’an. Most of those who reach such a conclusion have never actually read the Qur’an before, even once. Or they have, but haven’t tried to understand it; they have conditioned themselves from the beginning to think that they would not be able to understand it. Whereas the Qur’an, as it informs us, is crystal clear. It possesses a style which is easily comprehensible to anyone who reads it with sincerity.

It is a great blessing for people that the language of the Qur’an can be easily understood. In one of His verses, God declares that He has simplified the Qur’an so that people may read and understand it with ease:

We have revealed to you the Qur’an in your own tongue, so that you may give good news to those who guard against evil and give warning to a contentious nation. (Qur’an, 19:97)

When God has made His religion so much easier for people to understand, out of His mercy and compassion, the only thing left for them to do is reflect upon what God has said and act upon it. However, many people opt for the hard way when there is a simpler way. They go in search of things that will only misguide them and they live their life far from the Qur’an, which is the sole means of their learning the purpose of their life, and which can be their saviour for all eternity.

This is a very important point: God has created people in such a way that if they live by the foundation of Islam, they can be happy, peaceful, and mentally and physically healthy individuals.

As God declares in the following verse, the Qur’an is the only true Book that lifts people up from darkness into light:

Alif, Lam, Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Qur'an, 14:1)

Those who follow the light of God’s Book and submit to its guiding rule will always be blessed with ease and lead a wonderful life in this world and in the Hereafter, by the will of God.

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE BENIFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.