عن عائشة رضي اللّه عنها قَالَتْ: إِنْ كَان رسولُ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم لَيَدَعُ الْعَمَلَ، وهُوَ يحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْملَ بِهِ، خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ النَّاسُ فيُفْرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ» متفقٌ عليه.
'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would sometimes leave a deed — though he loved to perform it — out of concern that people would follow his example and it would then be made obligatory upon them." Agreed upon (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
لَيَدَع: لَيترك. خشية: خوف.
Would leave (layada'u): would abandon. Out of concern (khashyah): fear.
الدروس · lessons
حِرصُ النبي صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم على التخفيف والتيسير على أمّته في الدِّين خوفًا من أن يُفرض عليهم ما لا يُطيقون فيعجزوا عنه. المستحبّ من الأعمال إذا بُني على تركِه مصلحة شرعيّة كان تركُه أفضل.
The Prophet's (peace be upon him) keenness to lighten the burden and make things easy for his nation in religion, out of fear that what they could not bear would be made obligatory upon them, causing them to fall short. When leaving a recommended act serves a greater religious interest, abandoning it becomes preferable.