Wait, really? Who are these doomed Tanatus, anyway?
Well, it turns out that the Fatwa Department of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has a website which very helpfully answers exactly this question. Allow me to quote the question and a selection from the answer.
QUESTION: What is meant by the term ”Tanatu`” and what is meant by the Hadith: “Ruined are those who insist on hardship in matters of the Faith.”
ANSWER: All perfect praise be to Allah. Blessings and peace be upon Prophet Mohammad.
In principle, the term ”Tanatu`” means probing into a matter.”Motanatioon” refers to those who probe into matters unnecessarily.... Ibn Atheer stated: “ (Motanatioon) in the above Hadith are those who probe into matters and insist on hardship in what they say.” [An-nihayah Fi Ghreeb Al-Hadith Wa Al-Atharr]. The term “ Tanatu` “ was used by the Arabs to describe those who show off in their speech and employ awkward words when addressing people so as to win their hearts, and this is forbidden in Islam. [In other words, pedants.]
Later, it was used to describe whoever insisted on hardship in matters, whether by words, or deeds, and so they become far from moderation and balance, which are the spirit of Islam. Some instances of “ Tanatu` “ are: inquiring about non-existent juristic issues, and details of the unseen which none knows but Allah, such as the Spirit and The Day of Resurrection." More meaning go under the term Tanatu' as follow: proclaiming the legal illegal, innovations in religious matters, and insisting on hardship in religious practices, doctrines and thoughts.... [In other words, extremists.]
Moreover, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said (What means): "The religion (of Islam) is easy, and whoever makes the religion a rigour, it will overpower him. So, follow a middle course (in worship); if you can't do this, do something near to it and give glad tidings and seek help (of Allah) at morn and at dusk and some part of night". {Bukhari}....
There's more, but that should give you the gist. "Tanatu" refers to niggling detail when it comes to religious doctrine, to agonizing over every jot and tittle, and to making the compliance with doctrine a matter of pain and anguish for everyone else. Just the word for people like me whose compulsions for pedantic exactitude are so obvious. Now if only we weren't all coming to a bad end!
In the spirit of ... umm, ... scholarly exactitude, the exact reference for this hadith is: Sahih Muslim, Book 34, Number 6450. You can find similar explanations of the text here or here. They all agree that Tanatu is a bad thing.
Oh well. Maybe there is still time for repentance.
