Moderation in Worship

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ مَتِينٌ فَأَوْغِلُوا فِيهِ بِرِفْقٍ‌[1] وَ لَا تُكَرِّهُوا عِبَادَةَ اللَّهِ إِلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ فَتَكُونُوا كَالرَّاكِبِ الْمُنْبَتِ‌[2] الَّذِي لَا سَفَراً قَطَعَ وَ لَا ظَهْراً أَبْقَى‌[3]. - مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ عَنْ مُقَرِّنٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُوقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ مِثْلَهُ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘This religion is strong (and vast). Follow it with care and do not make the servants of Allah dislike the worship of Allah, lest you become like the rider who destroys his carry-animal during a journey, thus has neither reached his destination nor has any animal to ride on.’” Muhammad

لَا تُكَرِّهُوا إِلَى أَنْفُسِكُمُ الْعِبَادَةَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not cause your souls to dislike worship.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً فَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا قَلِيلًا جَزَاهُ بِالْقَلِيلِ الْكَثِيرَ وَ لَمْ يَتَعَاظَمْهُ أَنْ يَجْزِيَ بِالْقَلِيلِ الْكَثِيرَ لَهُ.

‘When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, loves any (of His) servants who have done a little good deed, He grants him a great reward for his little deeds. He does not consider granting a great reward, for a little deed, a difficult thing at all.’”

مَرَّ بِي أَبِي وَ أَنَا بِالطَّوَافِ وَ أَنَا حَدَثٌ‌[4] وَ قَدِ اجْتَهَدْتُ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ فَرَآنِي وَ أَنَا أَتَصَابُّ عَرَقاً فَقَالَ لِي يَا جَعْفَرُ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً أَدْخَلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَ رَضِيَ عَنْهُ بِالْيَسِيرِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Once my father passed by during my Tawaf (walking seven times around the Ka’ba). I was young and very seriously striving to worship. He saw me sweating and said to me, “O Ja’far, my son, if Allah loves any (of His) servants, He admits him in paradise and becomes happy with him even wit

اجْتَهَدْتُ فِي الْعِبَادَةِ وَ أَنَا شَابٌّ فَقَالَ لِي أَبِي ع يَا بُنَيَّ دُونَ مَا أَرَاكَ تَصْنَعُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا أَحَبَّ عَبْداً رَضِيَ عَنْهُ بِالْيَسِيرِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘I strived hard in worshipping and I was young. My father said to me, “My son, I want to see you also do things other than what you are doing. Were Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, to love a servant He would become happy with him even with a very little deed.’””

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ يَا عَلِيُّ إِنَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ مَتِينٌ فَأَوْغِلْ فِيهِ بِرِفْقٍ وَ لَا تُبَغِّضْ إِلَى نَفْسِكَ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّ الْمُنْبَتَّ يَعْنِي الْمُفْرِطَ لَا ظَهْراً أَبْقَى وَ لَا أَرْضاً قَطَعَ فَاعْمَلْ عَمَلَ مَنْ يَرْجُو أَنْ يَمُوتَ هَرِماً وَ احْذَرْ حَذَرَ مَنْ يَتَخَوَّفُ أَنْ يَمُوتَ غَداً.

“The Messenger of Allah once said, ‘O Ali, this religion is strong (and vast). Follow it with care. Do not cause your soul to hate the worship of your Lord. The extremist is like a person who during a journey destroys his riding animal and is left without any animal to ride before reaching his destination. Do good deed