In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated: “A person commits forbidden actions because of their weak Iman and love for Allah. And when one engages in disliked actions, it is either because they don’t strongly dislike it or because they have a strong love for it that overpowers their dislike”. [1]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: Hardship is only encountered by the one who abandons the Ma’loofaat and Awaa’id [habits practices, customs, etc] for other than the sake of Allah. As for the one who abandons them truthfully and sincerely from the bottom of his heart- for the sake of Allah alone, he does not encounter any difficulty due to abandoning them except in the beginning so that he is tested as to whether he is truthful or untruthful in abandoning them. If he exercises a little bit of patience, it will alternate into pleasure. Ibn Seereen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said that he heard Shurayh [may Allah have mercy upon him] swearing by Allah that A person does not abandon anything for the sake of Allah and finds a loss in that”. Their statement [i.e. the people of knowledge] “Whoever abandons something for the Sake of Allah, it will be replaced with what is better”, this compensation is of different types and the best of that which a person is compensated with is the desire and yearning to get close to Allah, seeking after Allah’s pleasure, love of Allah, and the heart granted – by way of it- tranquility, strength, enthusiasm, happiness and being pleased with its Lord [The Most High]. [2]

[1] Jaami Ar-Rasaa’il 2/290

[2] Al-Fawaa’id page 166