Moderation in All Things
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked a companion: "(Is it true) that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?" The companion replied that the report was indeed true. The Prophet then said: "Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave (it) at other times. Stand up for prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 127
Adopt a Moderate Course
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)." -Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470
Be Moderate in Your Religious Deeds
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise (i.e., no one enters paradise only through his good deeds)." The Prophet's companions asked: "Not even you?" The Prophet replied: "Not even myself, unless God bestows His favor and mercy on me. So be moderate in your religious deeds and do what is within your ability. None of you should wish for death, for if he is a doer of good, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to God." - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 577
Source
More Ahadith on Moderation:
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا بُرَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا بَعَثَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي بَعْضِ أَمْرِهِ قَالَ " بَشِّرُوا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرُوا وَيَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا "
Narrated Abu Musa:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Gladden people and do not scare them; make things easy and do not make them difficult.
Source
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ السَّلاَمِ بْنُ مُطَهَّرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ مَعْنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الدِّينَ يُسْرٌ، وَلَنْ يُشَادَّ الدِّينَ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ غَلَبَهُ، فَسَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا، وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالْغَدْوَةِ وَالرَّوْحَةِ وَشَىْءٍ مِنَ الدُّلْجَةِ "
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights." (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1).
The present condition of Muslims can be summed up by the following saying of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him);
We know that the best guidance is the way of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). By exhibiting moderation in worship, we will be following that guidance. By doing so, we will keep matters easy without ever falling into extravagance or neglectfulness. Therefore Moderation in every walk of life is an absolute must!
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked a companion: "(Is it true) that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?" The companion replied that the report was indeed true. The Prophet then said: "Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave (it) at other times. Stand up for prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 127
Adopt a Moderate Course
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)." -Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470
Be Moderate in Your Religious Deeds
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise (i.e., no one enters paradise only through his good deeds)." The Prophet's companions asked: "Not even you?" The Prophet replied: "Not even myself, unless God bestows His favor and mercy on me. So be moderate in your religious deeds and do what is within your ability. None of you should wish for death, for if he is a doer of good, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to God." - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 577
Source
More Ahadith on Moderation:
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا بُرَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا بَعَثَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي بَعْضِ أَمْرِهِ قَالَ " بَشِّرُوا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرُوا وَيَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا "
Narrated Abu Musa:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Gladden people and do not scare them; make things easy and do not make them difficult.
| Reference | : Sunan Abi Dawud 4835 |
| In-book reference | : Book 43, Hadith 63 |
| English translation | : Book 42, Hadith 4817 |
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ السَّلاَمِ بْنُ مُطَهَّرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ مَعْنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الدِّينَ يُسْرٌ، وَلَنْ يُشَادَّ الدِّينَ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ غَلَبَهُ، فَسَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا، وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالْغَدْوَةِ وَالرَّوْحَةِ وَشَىْءٍ مِنَ الدُّلْجَةِ "
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights." (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1).
| Reference | : Sahih al-Bukhari 39 |
| In-book reference | : Book 2, Hadith 32 |
| USC-MSA web (English) reference | : Vol. 1, Book 2, Hadith 39 |
Source |
The present condition of Muslims can be summed up by the following saying of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him);
We know that the best guidance is the way of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). By exhibiting moderation in worship, we will be following that guidance. By doing so, we will keep matters easy without ever falling into extravagance or neglectfulness. Therefore Moderation in every walk of life is an absolute must!
