Extreme Worship

باب: مَا يُكرَهُ مِنَ التّشدِيدِ فِي العِبَادَة

Chapter 15 - Hadeeth 609 of Kitab of Tahajjud

. عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: دَخَلَ النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم, فَإذَا حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ بَيْنَ السّارِيَتَيْنِ, فَقَالَ: (ما هذَا الْحَبْلُ). قَالُوا: هذَا حَبْلٌ لِزَيْنَبَ, فَإِذَا فَتَرَتْ تَعَلّقَتْ بِهِ. فَقَالَ النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: (لا, حُلّوهُ, لِيُصَلّ أَحَدُكُمْ نَشَاطَهُ, فَإِذَا فَتَرَ فَلْيَقْعُدْ). رواه

Narrated Anas bin Mâlik رضى الله عنه : Once the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered (the mosque) and saw a rope hanging in between its two pillars. He said, What is this rope? The people said, This rope is for Zainab who, when she feels tired, holds it (to keep standing for the Salât (prayer)). The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, Don't use it. Remove the rope. You should offer Salât (prayer) as long as you feel active, and when you get tired, sit down.

The Shaykh commented on this hadeeth in the last dars, and mentioned how people use this hadeeth to state that there is no need to do more than the minimum that is required of a believer - no need to worship Allah excessively. However, this is only the case when one is so overwhelmed or tired that one cannot continue an act of Ibadah e.g. if one will faint due to weakness whilst trying to fast then the person should not fast. But, exerting oneself even to an extreme is comendable in Islam. Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq then mentioned the story of Imam Malik (rh) who was bitten by a scorpion 17 times which was under his cloak whilst teaching hadeeth. Although his face was discolouring and he was wincing he continued narrating the hadeeth and kept patient out of respect of the hadeeth. A similar incident happened with Imam Bukhari (rh) whilst reciting salah. He did not break his salah as he wished to complete the surah he was reciting despite the scorpion biting him. SubhanAllah. These examples show the resolve the the great scholars of the ummah in their worship of Allah