Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah (RAA) wrote to Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RAA), mentioning to him the size of the Roman armies and what concerns he had in one of the battles. Umar (RAA) wrote to him: “As for what follows, no matter what hardship befalls a believing servant, Allah will make relief after it. And no hardship will overcome two eases. And Allah the Most High says in His Book: {O you who have believed, be patient and endure and be steadfast and fear Allah that you may succeed.} (3:189).

The verses from chapter Al-Sharh 94:5-6, {For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease, Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease}, were revealed to the prophet (ﷺ) as the polytheists taunted him for his poverty, until they said to him: we will collect wealth for you! So he (ﷺ) was sad and thought that they denied his message because of his poverty. For this, Allah (ﷻ) consoled him, and enumerated His blessings upon him, and promised him ease after hardship and wealth. In chapter Al-Duha 93:8, Allah (ﷻ) said: {And He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient}. So He (ﷻ) fulfilled for him what He promised him, and the prophet (ﷺ) did not die until he conquered Hijaz and Yemen, and his wealth was expanded, to the point that he would give a man two hundred camels, and he (ﷺ) would prepare a year’s sustenance for his family.

Among the signs of Allah’s Lordship is the change in people’s conditions from hardship to prosperity, and vice versa. He, the Almighty, has kindnesses and wisdom that His many people cannot comprehend or understand sometimes. Therefore, many will blame and complain, and few will be in contentment and gratitude. Allah (ﷻ) said: {And few of My servants are grateful} 34:13.

If we take a look at the story of Yousuf, we see that for him to be able to help the people of Egypt to face drought and famine, he had to go through many hardships since he was born including being thrown into a well when he was young and being in prison when he was an adult! And in the story of Moses, for him to be able to bring the people of Bani Israeel safely out from Egypt, he had to go through many hardships including being thrown into the sea when he was young and fleeing Egypt when he was an adult! And in the case of our prophet (ﷺ), for him to be able to rule and conquer Makkah, he was forced out of it with his companions with lots of hardships that came with that!

The prophet (ﷺ) said: “If hardship entered a lizard hole, ease would come after it until it brings it out.”[1] And when God revealed chapter Al-Sharh, Ibn Abbas (RAA) said: “God created one hardship and created two eases, and no hardship will overcome two eases.” And it is interesting that linguistically, the term for hardship that was mentioned in the verse (أل التعريف) was with the definite form [the] which means one thing only, THE hardship. But ease was mentioned without it, indefinite form, meaning two different types of ease will always come with one hardship. Also, in the same verse, Allah (ﷻ) said that {with hardship comes ease} that means the ease is always accompanying hardship as if it is part of it and included in it! The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Know that in patience for what you dislike there is much good, and that victory comes with patience, and that relief comes with distress, and that with hardship comes ease.”[2]

Ease is not only seen in facing hardships of life like tests and trials, but Islamic law, Sharia is all based on the concept of ease.

For example, in rituals, ease was made for people who cannot pray standing to sit down, or people who are travelling to combine and shorten prayers. And once, the prophet (ﷺ) entered the Masjed and saw a rope stretched between the two pillars. He said: “What is this rope?” They said: “This is a rope for Zainab, so when she gets tired, she clings to it.” The prophet (ﷺ) said: “Untie it so that one of you can pray while he is energetic, and when he gets tired, let him sleep.”[3]

And in Da’wah, or inviting people to practice Islam, the famous story is well known, when a Bedouin urinated inside the Masjed and the Sahabah were angry at him, the prophet (ﷺ) called on him and spoke gently and advised him softly and then turned to Sahabah and said: “You have been sent to make things easy, not to make things difficult.”[4]

The prophet (ﷺ) said: “Religion is based on ease, and no one will overburden himself with religion except that it will overcome him, so strive straight, come close, give good tidings, and seek help by praying in the morning and the afternoon, and some of the night.”[5]

By Imam Kifah Mustapha

[1] Tabarani

[2] Ahmad

[3] Bukhari

[4] Abu Daoud

[5] Bukhari