The Easiness of Allah's Commands and Recommendations is a Mercy to Believers
In all conditions and circumstances, Allah's decrees are characterized by being easy to practice. For example, Allah gives all people many blessings to supply their daily needs: colorful fruits, various foods to eat and drink, and everything else that we need - all of them serve human beings. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that He has made all clean foods permissible. "They will ask you what is lawful for them. Say: "All good things are lawful for you." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 4) And those foods that Allah has forbidden (e.g., carrion, blood, and pork) are unclean and harmful. Allah reveals in one of the verses:
Say: "I do not find, in what has been revealed to me, any food that is forbidden to eat except carrion, flowing blood, and pork – for that is unclean – or some abomination consecrated to other than Allah. But if anyone is forced to eat it, without desiring to or going to excess in it, your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Surat al-An'am, 145)
In this verse, the word unclean is very important, because pork really has some qualities that are harmful to the human body. The prohibition of harmful food is a mercy meant to make things easy for people and protect them. And a person is responsible for doing as Allah commands. When Allah speaks of forbidden food, He explains how people are to behave in any given situation. In this way, they know what to do when confronted with unexpected situations. Some of the verses about this subject is as follows:
So eat from what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and be thankful for His blessing, if it is Him you worship. He has forbidden you carrion, blood, pork, and anything consecrated to other than Allah. But if someone is forced to eat it, without desiring to or going to excess in it, your Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl, 114-115)
Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you
(Surat al-Baqara, 185)
The glad reminder in this verse that Allah is generous and giving is a comfort for believers because human beings have been created weak. People may make mistakes, forget, are heedless, and lack determination. But when they sincerely repent, Allah says that He will be giving and generous toward them.
Allah gives many comforts to those who pray five times a day. For example, if they cannot find water for the necessary ablutions, Allah reveals how to use clean soil, a technique that can be easily performed anywhere. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals how those who cannot find water can perform their ablutions with earth:
If you are in a state of major impurity, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey, or have come from the lavatory, or have touched women and cannot find any water, then take for yourselves clean soil and wipe your faces and your hands with it. Allah does not want to make things difficult for you; He wants to purify you and to perfect His blessing upon you so that, hopefully, you will be thankful. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 6)
Out of His endless compassion and mercy, Allah makes things easy for human beings by showing them the easiest and best ways to live and worship. In addition, He has announced the glad tidings of His favor, mercy, and Paradise to those who adhere to the Qur'an's morality.
Allah commands Muslims to fast during the month of Ramadan, but excuses them if they have a valid reason for not doing so, such as illness or traveling. This is yet another example of the ease of following the Qur'an's morality:
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for humanity, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim Allah's greatness for the guidance He has given you so that, hopefully, you will be thankful. (Surat al-Baqara, 185)
In verses related to His decrees, Allah reveals that He wants things to be easy for people and shows them that they must think in order to understand just how easy His religion is. Those who avoid worshipping Him because they think it is difficult have an incorrect understanding of what religion is.
Besides our Lord reveals in one of the verses that: "If Allah had willed, He could have been hard on you. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara, 220).
As a further manifestation of Allah's mercy and compassion, some people are not responsible for what they are too weak to bear. It is another proof of the endless compassion of our Lord that the responsibilities of those with physical handicaps will be lightened.
Allah tells us about this in the following verse:
There is no constraint on the blind, the lame, or the sick. We will admit all those who obey Allah and His Messenger into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. But We will punish with a painful punishment anyone who turns his [or her] back. (Surat al-Fath, 17)
The Qur'an reveals that Allah, the All Merciful and Most Merciful, has made Islam an easy religion at all times, places, and situations. When people want to be sincerely religious and grateful servants, they will find no difficulty in doing so.
