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).
Hadith Text & Reference
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."
Book: Belief | Author: Sahih al-Bukhari | Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 39
Commentary on Ease in Religion
This noble hadith establishes a fundamental principle of Islamic law: the removal of hardship and the facilitation of ease for the believers. The Shari'ah is not meant to be a burden that causes exhaustion and inability to continue. The phrase "overburdens himself" refers to those who exceed the limits set by Allah through excessive stringency and self-imposed difficulties not required by the religion.
The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly prohibits extremism (ghuluww), which is to go beyond the moderate path prescribed by Allah. This includes both negligence and excessive strictness. The true path lies in balanced devotion that is consistent and sustainable.
The Path of Moderate Excellence
"Try to be near to perfection" does not mean to burden oneself with supererogatory acts to the point of exhaustion. Rather, it means to perfect the obligatory acts (fara'id) and consistently perform the recommended acts (nawafil) within one's capacity. The "good tidings" refer to the divine promise of reward for those who follow this balanced path without causing harm to themselves.
The mention of specific times for worship - mornings, afternoons, and last hours of the night - indicates the wisdom of distributing acts of worship throughout the day and night. This prevents spiritual fatigue and maintains a constant connection with Allah. The morning prayers include Fajr and Duha, the afternoon includes Zuhr and 'Asr, and the night includes Maghrib, 'Isha', and Tahajjud.
Practical Application
This teaching warns against the innovation of creating new religious practices that Allah has not legislated. The believer should follow the Sunnah in its completeness without adding or subtracting. The strength mentioned comes from the spiritual vitality achieved through consistent, moderate worship rather than sporadic bursts of extreme devotion followed by prolonged abandonment.
Scholars have derived from this hadith that acts of worship should be performed with consistency, even if they are small, rather than large but infrequent acts that lead to burnout. This is the essence of the statement of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet's regular practice, which he loved most, was that which one could do consistently.