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Facilitate things for the people and do not make things difficult (for them)
Abu Burda, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that: "The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent his (i.e. Abu Burda's) grandfather, Abu Musa and Mu`adh, may Allah be pleased with them, to Yemen and said to both of them "Facilitate things for the people (Be kind and lenient) and do not make things difficult (for them), and give them good tidings, do not repulse them and both of you should obey each other." Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "O Allah's Prophet! In our land there is an alcoholic drink (prepared) from barley called Al-Mizr, and another (prepared) from honey, called Al-Bit"' The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, "All intoxicants are prohibited." Then both of them proceeded and Mu`adh asked Abu Musa, "How do you recite the Qur'an?" Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, "I recite it while I am standing, sitting or riding my riding animals, at intervals and piecemeal." Mu`adh, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "But I sleep and then get up. I sleep and hope for Allah's Reward for my sleep as I seek His Reward for my night prayer." Then he (i.e. Mu`adh) pitched a tent and they started visiting each other. Once Mu`adh paid a visit to Abu Musa and saw a chained man. Mu`adh asked, "What is this?" Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "(He was) a Jew who embraced Islam and has now turned apostate." Mu`adh, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I will surely chop off his neck!"
The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent the Abu Musa al-Ash'ari - 'Abd Allah ibn Qais Jad Sa'id ibn Abi Barda, may Allah be pleased with him, the narrator of this Hadeeth - and Mu'adh ibn Jabal as governors to two districts in Yemen. It was a part of his Sunnah to command the missionaries. Each of his commandments confirms and strengthens the other.
We will not stand for long with the commandments of this Hadeeth since we discussed in details the easiness and leniency of Islam when we previously mentioned the Hadeeths pertaining to facilitation.
His saying, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Facilitate things for the people (Be kind and lenient) and do not make things difficult (for people) entails that they should stick to easiness in all the matters, be them related to the commands, the prohibitions, the Fatwas, the division of alms and charity, leading the people in prayer, sitting with people, walking with them in times of fighting … to the other matters that require easiness. On the other hand he warned them against what contradicts this. Such an eloquent style increases the mind in pleasure and persuasion, raises the emotions of the soul, and makes the hearer feels the seriousness of the matter.
