Overview (Verses 66 - 68)

A Law Made Easy
 
Next, the sūrah confirms that the code of living people are called upon to implement is easy to apply and that the law to judge in their disputes is compassionate, returning verdicts full of mercy. It does not impose on them anything that is too hard or requiring great sacrifices. God knows how weak man is, and He turns to him with mercy. He knows that if people have very tough duties, only a few will fulfil such duties. He does not wish to overburden them, or that they should fall into sin. Hence, He has not imposed on them what is too hard or what causes many of them to fall short of obeying Him. Thus, when people respond to God’s admonition and fulfil the easy tasks imposed on them, they receive great benefits both in the life of this world and in the life to come. God is certain to help them by facilitating their guidance, as He helps everyone who tries his best to follow His guidance: “Yet if We were to order them, Lay down your lives,’ or, ‘Forsake your homelands,’ only a very few of them would do it; but if they would do what they are admonished to do, it would indeed be for their own good and apt to strengthen them greatly [in faith]. And We should indeed grant them, out of Our grace, a mighty reward, and indeed guide them along a straight path.” (Verses 66-68)
 
This religion of Islam is easy for anyone with an uncorrupted nature to follow. It does not require any superior will-power, available only to a few. The Islamic message is not meant for such a minority; it is a faith for all mankind. People differ in their abilities to fulfil obligations. The religion of Islam ensures that they are all able to fulfil their obligations and refrain from what is forbidden.
 
Killing oneself and forsaking one’s homeland are two types of hardship to undergo. Were they made binding tasks, they would only be fulfilled by the smallest minority. They have not been imposed, because it is not an objective of Islam to impose such stringent obligations that are too difficult for most people to fulfil, or that most people turn away from. The objective is that all people should be able to fulfil them, so that all those with uncorrupted natures should e able to join the ranks of the faithful. In this way, the Muslim community will include people of different abilities and talents, which helps Islam to progress and refine itself.
 
Ibn Jurayj relates on the authority Abū Isĥāq al-Subay`ī: “When the verse stating ‘if We were to order them, “Lay down your lives”’ was revealed, one of us said, ‘Had we been ordered, we would have done it; but we praise God for having spared us.’ The Prophet was informed and he commented, ‘Some of my followers have firmer faith than great mountains .
 
Ibn Abī Ĥātim relates on the authority of `Abdullāh ibn al-Zubayr: “When the verse stating ‘if We were to order them, “Lay down your lives”’ was revealed, the Prophet said, ‘Had it been required, Ibn Umm `Abd would have been one of them.” Another report on the authority of Shurayĥ ibn Ubayd says: “When the Prophet recited the verse stating ‘if We were to order them, “Lay down your lives”’ he pointed to `Abdullāh ibn Rawāĥah and said, `Had God ordered this, that man would have been among the few who responded.’“
 
God’s Messenger’s knowledge of his followers was both intimate and profound. He knew the qualities of each one of them more than they knew themselves. The history of his blessed life reveals numerous examples of the Prophet’s intimate knowledge of each one of his Companions, as well as his knowledge of the people and tribes who were fighting him. His was the knowledge of the leader, aware of the minute details of all around him. This aspect of the Messenger’s intimate knowledge has not as yet been studied fully. This, however, does not form part of our discussion here.
 
The Prophet, then, was aware that there were among his followers those who would have fulfilled the toughest of tasks, had these been required of them. However, he also knew that Divine religion is not meant for such elite among humanity. God knows the nature of the human being He has created and the limitations of his ability. Hence, He has not imposed on people, in the religion which He has revealed for all mankind, anything except what is easy for all people to accomplish, provided that they have honesty in their beliefs, a determined desire to obey God, and a nature uncorrupted by wicked influences.
 
To understand this is exceedingly important when we face evil calls advocating immoral behaviour under the pretext that it is part of human nature. Such philosophies claim that such are the limits of human nature, and they describe religion as an idealistic notion that cannot be implemented in real life. They allege that against every person who can fulfil religious obligations, there are one hundred who cannot.
 
This claim is both false and deceptive, and it betrays ignorance. It is a claim by people who neither understand man, nor have his Creator’s knowledge about him. It is God, his Creator, who imposes on him religious duties, and He knows that these are within the ability of an ordinary human being, because religion is not made for the privileged few. It merely requires the sort of resolve an ordinary human being has, good intention and taking the first step to start along the Islamic way. This is sufficient to ensure the fulfilment of God’s promise: “But if they would do what they are admonished to do, it would indeed be for their own good and apt to strengthen them greatly [in faith]. And We should indeed grant them, out of Our grace, a mighty reward, and indeed guide them along a straight path.” (Verses 66-68)
 
Once a start is made, God’s help is certain to come to ensure that steady progress is made. This is followed by great reward and guidance along the right path. God always tells the truth. He will never deceive His servants or leave His promises to them unfulfilled. “Whose word could be truer than God’s?” (Verse 87)
 
When we speak of the easy nature of this religion of Islam, we are not referring to the concessions and exemptions it gives. Nor do we mean to gather all such concessions and make of them a guiding principle in life. This religion includes both hard duties and concessions. The first are essential, because they are what is required in the first place. The concessions are given to cater for emergencies and special situations. Presenting Islam as a collection of such concessions, some of its well- intentioned advocates say to other people: “Look how easy to follow this religion is!” On the other hand, some of those who are keen to appease the rulers or the masses try to find loopholes to satisfy their desires, making such loopholes the essence of Islam.
 
This religion of Islam is not a set of concessions or loopholes. It is a complete whole that includes matters requiring strong resolve as well as concessions. It is made easy for people, so that, once he has made his resolve, an ordinary person can follow it and attain his personal perfection, within the limitations of his human nature. This is analogous to a garden in which grapes, plums, pears, berries, figs and cucumber become ripe, but have different tastes. Once each of them becomes ripe, no one says it is not ripe simply because its taste is of a different kind from the rest. In the garden of Islam all sorts of fruits are grown and ripen, giving different tastes, but each attains its perfect stage. Thus, we say that Islam is God’s plant, grown in God’s field, under God’s care.