104. This verse embodies two directives. The first is that man should not
attribute to himself the authority to proclaim things either lawful or unlawful
according to his own wishes. Only that which God has held to be lawful is lawful,
and only that which God has declared unlawful is unlawful. If men were to declare
certain things either lawful or unlawful on their own authority, they would
not be following the law of God but their own laws. The second directive is
that they should not adopt the course of world-renunciation and abstention from
worldly pleasures as the Christian monks, Hindu mendicants, Buddhist bhikshus
and illuminist mystics did. Religious-minded and virtuous people have always
tended to consider their physical and carnal desires an impediment to spiritual
growth. They have considered suffering, deprivation from worldly pleasures and
abstention from the means of worldly sustenance to be acts of goodness and indispensable
for achieving proximity to God. Even some of the Companions leaned in this direction.
The Prophet (peace be on him) once came to know that some Companions had resolved
that they would fast without interruption, that instead of spending the night
on their beds they would remain awake praying, that they would consume neither
meat nor fat, and would have no (sexual) relations with women. The Prophet (peace
be on him) addressed the people on this subject and said: 'I have not been commanded
to do so. Even your own self has rights against you. So, fast on certain days
and refrain from fasting on others. Stay awake praying at night and also sleep.
Look at me; 1 sleep as well as stay awake (praying); sometimes I fast and sometimes
I don't. I consume meat as well as fat. Whosoever dislikes my way does not belong
to me.' He then added: 'What has happened to people that they have prohibited
for themselves women, good food, perfumes, sleep and the pleasures of the world,
whereas I have not taught you to become monks and priests. In my religion there
is neither abstention from women nor from meat, neither seclusion nor withdrawal.
For the purposes of self-control my religion has fasting. As for monasticism,
all its benefits can be derived from jihad (struggle in the way of God). Serve
God and associate none with Him. Perform Hajj and 'Umrah, establish Prayers,
dispense Zakah and observe the fasts of Ramadan. Those who were destroyed before
you were destroyed because they were severe with themselves, and when they became
severe with themselves God became severe with them as well. It is the remnants
of such people who you see in the oratories and hermitages of monks.' (Ibn Kathir,
vol. 2, pp. 626 and 628-9 - Ed.)
There are traditions to the effect that the Prophet (peace be on him) once came
to know that one of his Companions was always so preoccupied with worship and
devotion that he did not approach his wife for long periods. The Prophet (peace
be on him) called for him and directed him to go to his wife. On being told
that he was fasting, the Prophet (peace be on him) asked him to break the fast
and proceed to his wife. During the reign of 'Umar a lady once lodged the complaint
that her husband fasted all day and prayed all night and had no relations with
her. 'Umar appointed the famous Successor (Tabi'i), Ka'b b. Thawr al-Azdi to
look into the matter. He issued the judgement that the husband had the right
to spend three nights in Prayer if he so wished, but every fourth night was
the right of his wife. (Fiqh al-Sunnah, vol. 2, p. 164 - Ed.)
105. 'Do not exceed the bounds of right' has a broad signification. To hold the things which are lawful to be unlawful, and to shun the things declared by God to be clean as if they were unclean, is in itself an act of wrongful excess. It should be remembered, at the same time, that extravagant indulgence even in clean things is an act of wrongful excess. Likewise, to overstep the limits of the permissible is also an act of wrongful excess. God disapproves of all three kinds of excess.