God says:
And strive hard in God’s cause with all the striving that is due to Him: It is He who has elected you [to carry His message], and has laid no hardship on you in [anything that pertains to] religion - Q.22: 78
The absence of any “hardship” in the religion of Islam is due to several factors: (1) it is free from any dogma or mystical proposition which might make the Qur’anic doctrine difficult to understand or might even conflict with man’s innate reason; (2) it avoids all complicated ritual or system of taboos which would impose undue restrictions on man’s everyday life; (3) it rejects all self-mortification and exaggerated asceticism, which must unavoidably conflict with man’s true nature “And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives of moderation] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind..” (2 :143) ; and (4) it takes fully into account the fact that “ human being has been created week” (4 : 28)
I have not created the invisible beings (which include angels) and men to any end other than that they may (know and) worship Me. - Q.51: 56
Thus, the innermost purpose of creation of all rational beings is their cognition (ma`rifah) of the existence of God and, hence, their conscious willingness to conform their own existence to whatever they may perceive His will and plan: and it is this twofold concept of cognition and willingness that gives deepest meaning to what the Qur’an describes as “worship” (ibadah)… . As the next verse shows; this spiritual call does not arise from any supposed “need” on the part of the Creator, who is self-sufficient and infinite in his power but is designed as an instrument for the inner development of the worshipper, who by the act of his conscious self-surrender to all pervading Creative Will may hope to came closer to an understanding of that Will and, thus, closer to God, Himself.
Prophet said:
Whoever (acts in order to) seek pleasure of God (even though it invites) displeasure of people, for him God will be sufficient as a protector; and whoever seeks pleasure of people even though it would displease God, God (does not protect him and) hands him over to people (to face their displeasure) – H: Tirmizi. N: Bibi Ayesha.
Whoever loves for the sake of God, hates (e.g., sin) for the sake of God, gives alms for the sake of God, and withholds (himself) for the sake of God has indeed perfect faith.” – H: Abu Dadud and Tirmrzi. N: Abu Umamah.
Worship of God is very wide term of which understanding of the Qur’an, our guide-book, is naturally, of great importance. In order to understand the Qur’anic message it is necessary that one should not be hasty with the Qur’an, as has been advised in 20:14 containing the famous supplication: “O my Sustainer, cause me to grow in knowledge,“ Instead, one should act upon what God says in verse 73:4 “…recite the Qur’an calmly and distinctly, with thy mind attuned to its meanings.”
The Message of the Qur’an is addressed to every representative of God, men and women irrespective of cast, creed or colour. Muslims, by and large, have forgotten their responsibility towards the fellow representatives: “You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in God” Q.3:110. Therefore, don’t you think, that by way introduction to the Qur’anic message, you should inform about the Friday Post to your friends, Muslims as well as Non Muslims. (Make sure they read the introduction, Makers of Tomorrow, to begin with. You know the title is always mentioned on the right side. Click it and its there.)
(Yellow text is by Asad. Green text is by me.)
