With Pleasure, Oh My Lord

If a man is going to do anything, worship, or any other action, it must be done voluntarily and gladly. If he is not pleased with that action, he must not do it, for there will be no good result for him from it. If there is no pleasure in it for you, there will be no pleasure in it for Allah Almighty. For worship, it is important to realize that we are speaking of the soul’s pleasure. When we are worshipping, our nafs is not pleased, but our souls are. We must look to the pleasure of our soul. Actions may be easy or difficult. What is the secret? For the one who finds an action easy, it is because it gives him pleasure, while for the one who finds it difficult, it is because he is forced to do it. Easy actions make people happier, while difficult actions make people unhappy.