Human beings are wired to look for complexity in everything. We often overthink and make things harder on ourselves for no apparent reason. It seems most of us have done exactly this to our deen. We made it complicated and hard to follow when Allah intended it to be simple.
Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardshipQuran 2:185
Unfortunately, in many cases, both Muslims and reverts alike, make Islam hard to practice for themselves by adding a great deal of intricacies, superstitions and focus on minute details. There is a misconception that the more stringent and extreme we become in practicing Islam, the more pious we become.
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 worshiping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights."Sahih al-Bukhari - Hadith 39
Allah as our maker, knows that we are not perfect and neither he expects perfection from his slaves. As it can be deduced from the above hadith, our prophet has also instructed us not to make our religion complicated, overburden ourselves or take it to the extremes. Rather we should try to be as close to perfection as we can without affecting the other aspect of our lives negatively.
Of course, this does not mean we should neglect our obligations towards our deen. It simply means we should always strive to better ourselves, be it in religion, personal life or professionally.
Allah is merciful and wants us to enjoy life in the boundaries of Islam as well. Enjoying what He has provided for us in this worldly life is also a way of worship.
Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e., from] Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?" Say, "They are for those who believed during the life of this world, exclusively [for them] on the Day of Resurrection." Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know.Quran 7:32
May Allah grant us all understanding and He knows best.
