Some people like some of their activities so much that they become addicted to them and can hardly leave them. We witness some who become addicted to the sports and exercise and especially body-building that they especially spare time for this and cherish every moment that they pass in training and exercise. There can be many other similar habits like book reading, music, playing cards and others about which we can discuss in detail in any other article.
Similar to these but more important is the habit of worship. It would be wrong if we entitled it to be a habit because many religions make it obligatory for their followers to perform and follow strictly certain worships. Prime objective of worships is to bring ease in the life of a person and make him happier by protecting him from evil habits or deeds and leading him towards a pious life that ensures more productive days and nights for a person. In this regard, it would be better if we leave this issue to religious scholars and experts who know better about aims and objectives of worshipping but the story that we are going to start with is related to this important factor of religion.
When Islam was presented to the Arabs, they did not have any prior concept of religious worships that addressed the mind and soul more than the body. They did worship of idols but it was not more than external exhibition in which body was more involved but it had no food for the soul. When any activity addresses the body and doesn’t affect the mind and soul, it may have some temporary output but we can never expect anything in long run. Islam brought a number of worships that protected the mind and body of many impurities and thus served its aim of bringing eternal joy for the followers.
There is a Sufi concept about worshipping that how it can elevate the soul of a person and make the follower forget everything in his surrounding but it is not meant for common public and thus we are not going to discuss this here but it is true that fellows of our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) loved worshipping so much that they came up as an entirely different and most effective community after converting to Islam.
Converting to Islam was not so difficult but the changes brought by practically following the teachings of Islam made them disciplined, united, honest and filled with them with a large number of good qualities and removed all the impurities and dangerous habits from them. It was the reason that the companions of Holy Prophet (PBUH) were so much in love of worshipping that they passed most part of night in worships while in day, they kept fast while performing their routine economic duties.
One day, wife of a companion came to Holy Prophet (PBUH) complaining that his husband was not giving sufficient time and attention to his family. He passed most part of the night in prayers and worships while in day, he worked to earn his livelihood and passed the remaining time in worship and prayers. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) sent for the person and told him that he should give time to his family as well and follow a middle path and not exceed the limit of worships.
This story is still glowing in the pages of history and gives us an important message that following a middle path is very necessary in every field of life.
One of the famous Islamic scholars writes that, ‘Many people think that in order to become a pure Muslim, one needs to go through all the hardships and it is a way that is very difficult to be followed by the majority of the common people. Due to this perception, many people get disappointed and they develop an idea that they may never be able to follow this difficult path and there are no chances of success for them and thus they get away from religion. While on the other hand, there are those who do bombastic things and in this process, create numerous difficulties for themselves and people around them. If you ask me how is Islam, I can say that it is very easy. Just follow few basic rules and if others are safe of your tongue and hand, you are a true Muslim. Except this, you can try as much as you want to rise in worships and knowledge, but it would be your private matter.’
The ability to be among the common people is a universal quality that has been equally emphasized by all the religions. It has been emphasized so much due to a reason that living among the common people is very difficult. When we glance at the old system of kings to the present day corporate executives, it has been taken care that there should be a definite discrimination between the people on the grounds of status, wealth, knowledge and numerous other factors. In the same way, a person with a habit of sitting at a high position feels very bad to sit among the commons and it hurts his inner-self and ego when he is forced to live among them.
This division of people among different classes has created numerous problems. It divides the people in different groups in which they hate each other due to the differences because similarities bring the people close to each other and differences take them away and make them strangers. It has harmed the humanity from the beginning and still now, it is dividing the people, the communities and nations when we believe and endorse the practice of treating ourselves better than others and feel ourselves superior to them. When you feel yourself superior, it simply means that you are taking others less and in a way humiliating them and no one can ever tolerate the insult and humiliation and would treat you in the same manner.
When Islam was revealed, its first objective was to bring ease for people by making them united and removing the differences among them and in this context, first of all, it was ordered that everyone should be given due respect and honor and no one should feel himself superior to others on the basis of wealth, tribe, language or even pithy. In order to make this happen, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) showed his life as an example when he always liked to be like common people and be among the common people. This could have only happened if he had followed the middle path in his life which was practically achievable for common people. It is the reason why, we see that he lived among them, ate like them, lived in a house like them and did business like them and in his life-style, there was nothing that could have made the people embarrassed about themselves.
The point repeatedly comes into my mind when I see a number of people who try to show themselves too much important or too much religious and in their conduct, behavior and worships, leave the middle path and make the people around them feel less and ashamed. Some of them may not be doing it deliberately but if our act is going to make feel others less and if we are encouraging them to leave the middle path, we will have to answer to our act.