14030 - From al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding "And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him," he said: A man may indeed strive for Allah with the striving due to Him without having struck a blow with a sword (1).

14031 - From Muqatil (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding "And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him," meaning: The deed, that they should strive therein (2).

14032 - From al-Suddi (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding "And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him," he said: He is obeyed and not disobeyed (3).

14033 - From Muhammad who said: Abu Hurayrah said to Ibn Abbas: "Is there any hardship upon us in the religion, in that we should steal or commit adultery?" He replied: "Yes, [referring to the verse:] 'And He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship.'" He said: "The burden (al-isr) that was upon the Children of Israel has been removed from you" (4).

14034 - By the chain of Ibn Shihab, that Ibn Abbas used to say regarding His saying: "And He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship," it is the expansiveness of Islam, and what Allah has placed [for you] of repentance and of expiations (5).

14035 - By the chain of Uthman ibn Bashshar, from Ibn Abbas regarding "And He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship," he said: "This is regarding the crescent of Ramadan when people are in doubt about it, and in Hajj when they are in doubt about the crescent, and in al-Adha and al-Fitr, and their like" (6).

14036 - From Muqatil ibn Hayyan regarding His saying: "And He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship," he says: He has not made the religion difficult for you, but has made it expansive for whoever enters it. This is because there is nothing that He has obligated upon them in it, except that He has provided them with a concession (rukhsah) in case of necessity; and the concession in the world contains expansiveness for them as a mercy from Him. Since He obligated the prayer upon them while stationary as four units, and made it two units while traveling, and one unit when fearing the enemy; then He granted a concession in its manner, that one may signal [the movements] by gesturing if he cannot perform the prostration, in whichever direction his face may be turned, for one who is forgiven for his sins and mistakes. And He granted a concession in ablution and full-body washing (ghusl), that if they do not find water, they should perform dry ablution (tayammum) on the clean earth. And He made fasting obligatory upon the resident, and granted a concession regarding it for the sick and the traveler, to complete the number from other days. So whoever is unable, then the feeding of a needy person for every day. And He granted a concession in Hajj if one does not find provision or transport, or is prevented from it. And He granted a concession in Jihad if one does not find transport or funds. And He granted, at the time of extremity and necessity of hunger, a concession in [eating] carrion, blood, and swine flesh to the extent that one may keep himself alive, so that he does not die of hunger; and in things similar to this in the Qur'an. Allah has made it expansive for this nation as a concession from Him which He has bestowed upon them.