the bounds and gone to excess.

It has also been said: Do not let eating good things lead you to extravagance and unlawfully taking people’s wealth, for anyone who indulges excessively in good foods and pleasures will inevitably fall into what is unlawful because of that excess.

The purpose of asceticism is to abandon whatever harms a person in the Hereafter, and the purpose of worship is to do whatever benefits him in the Hereafter. If a person abandons what benefits his religion and his Hereafter, and performs acts of worship that cause harm, he has transgressed and gone to excess, even if he considers this beneficial asceticism and beneficial worship.

Ibn ‘Abbās, Mujāhid, Qatāda and al-Nakha‘ī explained “Do not transgress” as meaning: “Do not castrate yourselves.” ‘Ikrima said: “Do not follow a way other than that of the Muslims by abstaining from women, fasting continually and spending every night in prayer.”

Muqātil said: “Do not declare lawful things forbidden.” Al-Hasan is reported to have said: “Do not do what Allah has forbidden.” What is meant by this is: do not declare lawful things forbidden, nor do what is unlawful. This would mean that He forbade both kinds of conduct. However, the occasion of the verse’s revelation and its context support the majority view. It may also be said that this resembles His saying:

“Eat and drink, but do not be excessive,”

and His saying in the remainder of the passage:

“And eat of what Allah has provided for you, lawful and good,”

to the end of the verse.

The same applies to the authentic hadiths, such as the statement of one of them: “I will not marry women”