Our Islamic Law is Easy

Religion says: perform the ritual ablution (Wudu), but if you are sick or injured and you fear harm from water (it doesn’t say if you are certain of the injury or if the injury is absolute), then wipe your face and arms with dust in a specifically detailed way (Tayammum) instead of Wudu. This is mercy, this is religion. The religion is not free from mercy, but it is full of mercy.

Isn’t fasting important? Isn’t he who doesn't fast for an excuse is committing a great sin? But when it is needed, the religion shows its mercy. If you are traveling and it is hard for you to fast or if you are sick, the religion says:” and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; God desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty”. [1]

In these cases you don’t fast, but you fulfill your fasting on other days. Even if you are sick and you don’t know if fasting completely injures you, but you fear that your sickness will be more complicated, then you have an excuse not to fast. Your fear may be a result created by an immoral doctor, but there is a hadith that says that it is not important to ask someone for your case, it is enough to diagnose your case alone, “Rather, a man has insight into himself”.[2] There are also other situations, for example a pregnant woman who’s gonna give birth soon and an old man or woman (even if they don’t fear an injury but fear weakness) have an excuse not to fast.

The dead “Ayatollah, the hadji, Al Sheikh Abd Al Karim Al Hairi, used to fast despite his old age, so someone asked him: Why do you fast? You mentioned in your  legal opinion (Fatwa) that fasting is not a duty for old men and women, so did you change your fatwa, or you don’t consider yourself among old men? So he said:” I didn’t change my fatwa and I know that I am an old man”. So they told him:” So why do you fast?'' he answered:” It is the public’s vein that still beats inside me”.

Hence, the prophet (pbuh) says: I was sent with the easy and merciful Islamic law. It is a practical religion. The truth is that it is a practical religion. The truth is also that people from outside of this religion are attracted to it because of its mercy and ease. The prophet Mohammad (pbuh) says:” whoever calls for embracing this religion should call for the ease and mercy of it; he should do what encourages people towards this religion”.

The Good Model, Al Maaref Islamic and Cultural Institution

[1] Surah Al Baqara, verse 185
[2] Surah Al Qiyamah, verse 14