Three people came to the Prophet’s wives and asked how the Prophet conducted his worship. When they were told about it they seemed to consider it little and said, “What a difference there is between us and the Prophet whose former and latter sins have been forgiven him by God!” One of them said, “As for me, I will always pray during the night.” Another said, “I will fast during the daytime and not break my fast.” The other said, “I will have nothing to do with women and will never marry.” Then the Prophet came to them and said, “Are you the people who said such and such? By God, I am the one of you who fears and reverences God most, yet I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my sunna has nothing to do with me.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
Exposition of the Hadith
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, documented in Mishkat al-Masabih 145, presents a profound lesson on religious moderation. The three individuals, upon learning of the Prophet's worship practices, fell into extremism by vowing to abandon worldly comforts entirely. They mistakenly believed that excessive asceticism was the sole path to piety.
The Error of Self-Innovated Worship
The companions' statements—perpetual night prayer, continuous fasting, and complete celibacy—represent deviations from the balanced path (wasatiyyah) of Islam. Their approach stemmed from comparing themselves to the Prophet, forgetting that his spiritual station was unique and that his practices were divinely guided for his community to follow, not exceed.
Islamic law condemns monasticism (rahbaniyyah) not prescribed by Allah. The Prophet's emphatic declaration "He who is displeased with my sunna has nothing to do with me" establishes that rejecting his balanced example constitutes separation from his guidance and community.
The Prophetic Methodology
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ demonstrated that true God-consciousness (taqwa) combines worship with normal human needs: sleeping, eating, and marriage. His statement "I am the one of you who fears God most" confirms that piety is measured by obedience to divine commands, not self-imposed hardships beyond the Shariah.
This hadith establishes the sunna as the exclusive standard for worship. Any devotional act that contradicts the Prophet's practice, even if well-intentioned, becomes innovation (bid'ah) and risks rejection by Allah, as confirmed in the famous hadith: "Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not part of it, it will be rejected."
Contemporary Application
This teaching remains vital today when some Muslims adopt extreme practices beyond the prophetic example. The balanced approach preserves both spiritual vitality and social functionality, allowing believers to fulfill their duties to Allah, themselves, and society without contradiction or exhaustion.