Episode 15 - Why Do We Find Acts of Worship Burdensome?

Introduction and Illustrative Example

With the Quran to calm the soul with faith and recite it with devotion, and you will be showered with the abundance of contentment and the clouds of forgiveness.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah. Brother, imagine that you have gone on a journey and in your hand is a map to the city you are traveling to, or as in our days, GPS. If there is someone you long for in this city, and you are confident in the map, what happens? You walk quickly, you do not look for alternative routes, your mind is focused on the goal, which is reaching the city to meet your loved ones, and you are confident in this path that leads there.

On the other hand, what happens if you are doubtful about the accuracy of the map? You will not walk quickly, but you will walk a little and stop, you may ask passersby to confirm the correctness of the path. Your mind will be distracted and will not be focused on the goal and the loved ones you want to meet, but you will remain hesitant, confused, and wondering about the correctness of the path.

Patience, Prayer, and Their Relation to Certainty

What is the relation of this example to the Quran? Allah the Almighty said: {And seek help in patience and prayer, and indeed it is difficult except for the humble. Those who believe that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him.} (Quran 2:45-46)

And indeed it is a great difficulty. Patience in adversity is difficult, patience in obedience is difficult, patience from committing sins is difficult, and maintaining prayer is difficult. It is difficult for the hesitant one who doubts the correctness of his religion and whether it is the path that truly leads to paradise. Every time he refrains from a sin, the devil comes to him and says: You refrain from it in hope of paradise, what if this paradise does not exist? Then there is no Syrian garlic nor Yemeni grapes!

But this difficulty disappears before the humble and submissive to Allah, those who believe - and belief in the Quran often comes with the meaning of certainty - those who believe, i.e., are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him, to be held accountable for what they have done and to be rewarded with paradise and hell. Therefore, when they are certain of the resurrection and the reward, it becomes easy for them to perform good deeds and leave what is forbidden.

Call to Certainty and Striving

Therefore, my brother and sister, whenever you feel burdened by performing good deeds, ask yourself: Am I longing for paradise? Am I certain of its existence? Do I doubt that obeying Allah is the path that leads to paradise? Then why do I become lazy?

So gather your resolve and proceed on the path of Allah quickly without hesitation and without turning to other methods or alternative paths, and gather your heart and soul for the awaited meeting. For as our beloved (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever fears will travel at night" meaning he travels at night to cover distances quickly, "and whoever travels at night will reach the home. Verily, the merchandise of Allah is precious, verily, the merchandise of Allah is paradise."

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.