RASULULLAH (S.A.W.): A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF MODERATION

Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam – may Allah exalt his mention)

was a perfect example of moderation to his followers in every walk of
life. In expenditure, he advised them to spend within their means,
neither to be so lavish as to make themselves destitute, nor to hold
back their wealth from those who had a claim on their resources. "Do
not hold back altogether out of miserliness and render yourself
blameworthy, nor spend without restraint and exhaust your wealth, thus
becoming yourself destitute." [TOTM][Qur'an 17:29]

He gave mankind a golden rule of moderation between the two extremes
of lavish expenditure and miserliness; neither to be extravagant in
ordinary spending as well as in charity, nor to be niggardly. The
people who practice this rule in their lives are praised in these
words "Who are neither extravagant nor miserly in their spending, but
keep a just balance between the two extremes." [TOTM][Qur'an 25:67]

He taught, by his own example, the same rule of moderation in eating,
in dressing and in worship (`ibaadah). Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'Aas
said that once he decided to engage himself in worship all the time;
to fast during the day and read the whole Qur'an during the night. His
father married him to a young woman. Once his father asked his wife
about him, and she replied, "He is a very pious man and never comes to
his bed for sleep nor keep any relationship with anyone." His father
became very angry with him and said that he had married him to a very
gentle woman and that he had kept her in suspense all this time. But
in his enthusiasm for worship, he did not take notice of this. His
father complained to Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt His Mention),
who said to him, "I have heard that you fast during the day and pray
all night." He replied that that was right. Then Allah's Messenger
(May Allah Exalt His Mention) said, "Don't do that, but instead fast
sometimes and eat sometimes; pray during the night and sleep as well,
for your body has a claim on you; your eyes have a claim on you; lack
of sleep will weaken them; your wife and children and relatives have a
claim on you, too."' Abdullah bin Amer tells that the Prophet said,

"Allah likes to see the marks of His bounty on his servant."

A similar hadith is reported by Al-Bukhari. Some companions of Allah's
Messenger (May Allah Exalt His Mention) resolved to engage in worship;
one said that he would pray all night; another said that he would
always fast and never stop; the third said that he would never marry
and never have any relations with women. Allah's Messenger (May Allah
Exalt His Mention) heard about them and said, "I swear by Allah that I
fear Allah and realise my responsibilities to Him more than you, but
this is my way: I fast sometimes and sometimes I do not fast; I pray
during the night and sleep as well; and marry women. Anyone who does
not like my way has no relation with me."

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt His Mention) as
saying, "Don't be too cruel to yourselves, certain nations adopted
severity towards themselves so Allah punished them. You can see their
remnants in churches and monasteries." Muhammad forbade asceticism and
renunciation of the normal pleasures of life, nor did he like
perpetual and formal prayers in isolation. He told people to live the
normal lives of ordinary human beings, for service to Allah was done
through pure lives in the turmoil of this world. He wanted men to mix
with other men, so that they could discipline themselves and learn
resistance to evil and uphold the standard of Truth and Justice
against heavy odds, wherever necessary.'

Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt His Mention)
as saying, "Religion is easy, but if anyone overdoes it, it gets the
better of him, so keep to the right course, approximate to perfection
and rejoice." Ibn Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt
His Mention) as saying, "A good manner of conduct and moderation are a
twenty-fifth part of Prophethood." Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt
His Mention) is also reported to have said, "Moderation is the best of
actions.'' He lived the moderate life of an ordinary person, though he
was Allah's Messenger (May Allah Exalt His Mention) and ruler of a
state. He enjoyed the ordinary pleasures of life, worked like an
ordinary man in his house and in public, upheld the principles of

Truth and Justice in his private well as public life and always
abstained from the extremes of life. All his life, in Makkah as an
ordinary trader and in Medinah as a ruler, he led a simple life,
avoiding extremes, and taught his followers by his personal example to
live a similarly moderate life.

The following hadiths (Prophet sayings) are just examples of what
Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention) Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa
sallam) ordered the people to follow:

 Narrated `Aishah (radiallahu `anhaa): The Prophet (May Allah Exalt
His Mention) came in when a woman was sitting beside me. He asked me,
"Who is she?" I said: "She is the one whose performance of Salat
prayer) has become the talk of the town." Addressing her, he
sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, (What is this!) You are required
to take upon yourselves only what you can carry out easily. By Allah,

Allah does not withhold His Mercy and forgiveness of you until you
neglect and give up (good works). Allah likes the deeds best which a
worshipper can carry out constantly." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary:
a. This Hadith prohibits `ibaadah beyond one's capacity lest one gets
tired and renounces it altogether. One should be, therefore, moderate
in this respect.

b. Allah likes that good action which is done regularly, even if it is
a small one. Any deed, which is done continuously, will also have an
everlasting reward. On the contrary, a good deed, which is done for a
short period, will have a short return.

 Narrated Anas (radiallahu `anhu): Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) came into the mosque and noticed a rope stretched
between two poles. He enquired, "What is this rope for?" He was told:
"This is Zainab's rope. When during her voluntary prayer, she begins
to feel tired, she grasps it for support." Allah's Messenger said,
"Untie it. You should offer prayers so long as you feel active. When
you feel tired, you should go to sleep." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary:
This Hadith deals with the following three points:

a. First, it forbids undue strictness and taking support of anything
in the course of Salat.

b. If anything forbidden can be checked by hand, it must be stopped
immediately.

c. One should be moderate in `ibaadah and select such times for
optional and voluntary prayers when one feels real pleasure in them.

 Narrated Jabir Ibn Samurah (radiallahu `anhu): I used to observe
prayer with the Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention) (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) and his Salat (prayer) was of a moderate length and
his (Khutbah) sermon too was moderate in length. [Muslim]

Commentary:
This Hadith tells us that Imam should neither lengthen the Salat nor
give long sermon in the congregational Salat because both these things
are against the practice of the Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention)
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam).

 Narrated Ibn `Abbas (radiallahu `anhumaa): While the Prophet (May
Allah Exalt His Mention) (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) was
delivering Khutbah (religious talk), he noticed a man who was
standing, so he asked about him and was told that he was Abu Israel
who had taken a vow to remain standing and not sit, or go into the
shade, or speak while observing fasting. Thereupon Allah's Messenger
said, "Command him to speak, to go into the shade, to sit and to
complete his fast". [Al-Bukhari]

Commentary:
a) This Hadith makes it abundantly clear that one cannot attain the
Pleasure of Allah by means of self-invented methods. It can only be
achieved by ways and means prescribed in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

b) One should never vow for anything which is smeared with sin or
which is not permitted by religion. An instance of this is quoted in
the above mentioned Hadith.

c) The majority of `Ulama' (religious scholars) who do not think the
expiation of such vows necessary, quote this Hadith in support of
their view. They argue that the Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention)
has not prescribed expiation in such cases as is evident from this Hadith.

In conclusions, at the time the Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention) ordered the
people to perform acts of worship, he warned them against going to extremes (in practising religion).

He did so in order to prevent them from harming themselves physically or spiritually and from neglecting their other responsibilities and activities. The Prophet (May Allah Exalt His Mention) asked people to do good actions regularly, no matter how small. He said, Allah likes the deeds best, even if it is a
small, which a worshipper can carry out constantly. If the Prophet saw any one of his companions being immoderate, he would be displeased and would then instruct him to moderation.

" YA RASULULLAH HABIBALLAH - WE LOVE YOU"

Wassalam
Noor Liza Abd Rahman
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