Benefits

The Hadīth shows the ease and tolerance of Islamic Shariah and its middle position between excess and neglect.

A person should fulfill a command to the best of his ability, neither taking it lightly nor overburdening himself with it.

A person should choose the times of activeness for the performance of worship. In these three times in particular, one's body becomes most energetic for worship.

Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalāni said: It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was addressing a traveler to a destination, and these three times are the best times for the traveler. So, he alerted him to the times in which he is active. If a traveler travels during both the night and day, he will become weak and cut off. But if he is keen to travel during these energetic times, he will be able to continue without difficulty.

Ibn Hajar said: There is a reference in the Hadīth to taking the Shar‘i dispensation, for choosing a determined course of action where a Shar‘i dispensation is available is regarded as immoderation. For example, a person refuses to perform Tayammum (dry ablution) when he is unable to use water, and his use of it leads to a harmful effect.

Ibn al-Munīr said: In this Hadīth is one of the signs that prove the Prophet's prophethood, for we have seen and the people before us have seen that every extremist in the religion will be cut off. The purpose is not to prevent the pursuit of the most perfect form of worship, which is commendable. Rather, it is to prevent excess that leads to boredom, or exaggeration in voluntary acts that lead to abandoning what is better or performing an obligatory act beyond its time, such as someone who spends the whole night praying and then sleeps and does not offer the Fajr prayer in congregation, or until the sun rises and the time for the obligatory prayer has passed.