HUSMYAR - DIDIK ANAK

Islam is as easy as honesty with Allah—and as hard as people make it.

The statement finds profound support in the Quran, which consistently emphasizes Allah's mercy, the simplicity of the core message, and criticizes those who make religion difficult.

Here is a breakdown, backed by Quranic verses:

1. On "Easiness" – Honesty with Allah (Mercy, Accessibility, and Sincerity)

a) Allah's Desire for Ease, Not Hardship:

يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ

"Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship..." (Quran 2:185)

This verse, revealed in the context of fasting, establishes a universal principle for the entire religion.

وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ

"And He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty." (Quran 22:78)

b) The Direct, Honest Relationship (No Intermediaries):

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me." (Quran 2:186)

This verse cuts through any need for complex ritual intermediaries. Honesty and direct supplication are paramount.

أَلَا إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

"Unquestionably, their [final] resort is to Allah..." (Quran 7:53) - All matters return to Him alone, emphasizing sincere accountability.

c) Acceptance of Sincere Repentance and Effort:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا

"Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.'" (Quran 39:53)

This is the ultimate expression of ease through mercy. Honest acknowledgment of failure met with boundless forgiveness.

2. On "Hardness" – As People Make It (Condemnation of Extremism, Imposition, and Division)

a) Condemnation of Religious Extremism and Imposing Unlawful Burdens:

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ

"O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion..." (Quran 4:171)

While addressed to previous communities, this warning is universally applied in Islamic thought. "Ghulu" (excess/extremism) is condemned.

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ

"And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, 'This is lawful and this is unlawful,' to invent falsehood about Allah." (Quran 16:116)

This directly warns against declaring things permissible or forbidden without divine authority—the very source of human-made hardship.

b) Condemnation of Splitting into Sects and Disunity:

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ

"And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them..." (Quran 3:105)

Division and sectarian strife are identified as a major source of corruption and difficulty within religion.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ

"Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything." (Quran 6:159)

A powerful dissociation from those who fragment the religion into competing, rigid factions.

c) Warning Against Those Who "Sell" Allah's Verses and Hinder from His Path:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ

"Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah..." (Quran 2:159)

This addresses religious leaders or scholars who complicate or hide the clear message for personal gain or control, creating artificial barriers.

Conclusion and Synthesis from the Quranic Perspective

The Quran itself presents this duality:

· The Divine Offer: A clear, merciful, and accessible path centered on sincere faith (iman), righteous action (amal salih), and trusting in Allah's boundless mercy.

· The Human Corruption: Warnings against the very human tendencies that make it hard: extremism (ghulu), declaring lawful/unlawful without knowledge, splitting into sects, and concealing the truth for worldly power.

Therefore, the statement "Islam is as easy as honesty with Allah—and as hard as people make it" is a concise, modern reflection of a core Quranic theme. The "easiness" is rooted in verses of mercy, proximity, and forgiveness. The "hardness" is prophetically warned against in verses condemning excess, fabrication, and division. The Quran invites to the simple, sincere core, while constantly cautioning against the human capacity to complicate it.