“And when you (Muslims) travel in
the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten your salat (prayer) if you
fear that the disbelievers may attack you.” (Qur’an 4: 101)
If people find themselves to be in the circumstances that are described in
this verse, they are not completely absolved from the duty of performing
prayer; nonetheless, prayer is lightened for them: instead of performing for
units for the Zuhr prayer, for instance, they only have to perform two. The
Shariah is filled with examples of legislations whose main feature is
removing hardships from people: If a person is ill during the month of
Ramadan, he may make up his fast at a later date; if a person is traveling
during Ramadan, he too may make up his fast at a later date; if a person is
on the verge of starving , he may eat food that is otherwise unlawful in
Islam; if a person is ill to the degree that it is difficult for him to pray
standing up, he may pray sitting down; if a person does not have the means
to travel to Makkah, Hajj is not compulsory upon him; and so on from the
many merciful legislations of Islam. Thus it is clear that, through His
infinite Wisdom, Allah decreed laws that are in harmony with reality and
that take the innately weak state of man into consideration; as such, Allah
did not decree any law that man is incapable of performing. And this is from
the greatness, generosity, and mercy of Allah. |