<b>Guidance from the Hadith:</b><br> 1) It is not part of the Shariah to burden ourselves with things beyond our capacity and torture ourselves with arduous tasks not prescribed in the Shariah. He who does so subjects himself to needless suffering.<br> 2) The dearest deeds to Allah Almighty are those which are done regularly, even if they are little.<br> Note:<br> The Hadith with this wording is inauthentic, but another version of it is authentic, in which Kahmas al-Hilāli reported: I embraced Islam, so I went to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about this. Then, one year passed in which I became thin and weak. Thereafter, I went to him, and he looked at me closely. I said: “Do you not know me?” He said: “Who are you?” I said: “I am Kahmas al-Hilāli.” He said: “What made you look like this?” I said: “I have not missed a day without fasting since I met you and have not slept at night.” Thereupon, he said:<br> “Who commanded you to torture yourself? Fast the month of patience (i.e. Ramadan) and one day every month.” I said: “Permit me to fast more.” He said: “Fast the month of patience and two days every month.” I said: “Permit me to fast more, for I have the strength for it.” He said: “Fast the month of patience and three days every month.” [Narrated by Al-Tayālisi in his Musnad and by Al-Tabarāni in Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir]<br> A precious benefit:<br> In Siyar A‘lām al-Nubalā’, Al-Hāfizh Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said:<br> “He who does not adhere to the Prophet’s Sunnah in his worship and acts of piety will certainly regret, turn to monasticism, and will be in bad spirit, and he will miss a great deal of good to be obtained by following the Sunnah of the Prophet who is merciful and compassionate towards the believers and keen to benefit them. He taught the Ummah the best deeds and commanded them to abandon monasticism and devotion to their entire time to worship and impermissible continuous fasting and performing Qiyām for most of the night, except in the last ten nights (of Ramadan). He also prohibited celibacy for those who afford marriage and forbade refraining from eating meat, in addition to other commands and prohibitions.<br> He who engages in worship without knowing many of these rulings is excused and will be rewarded. But if a person worships while knowing these Prophetic instructions yet he disregards them, he is wrong and deluded. Indeed, the most pleasing deeds to Allah are the most regular, even if they are little.<br> May Allah guide all of us to follow the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) properly and keep away from personal inclination and going against the Sunnah.”