Hardship, as referred to in this maxim, excludes beneficial difficulty like that required for training, study, work, and worship. Islam places high value on purposeful exertion but requires the alleviation of detrimental difficulty. The preceding maxim, “harm must be removed,” emphasizes elimination; harm must be eliminated, not necessarily replaced with something else. The focus of this maxim is different; hardship must not just be eliminated; it must be replaced with something better.
“Hardship must be alleviated” requires the creation alternatives, because alternatives are the means by which alleviation takes place. In many cases, it may not be desirable to eliminate completely a type of behavior that is causing hardship; it may be better to modify that behavior or create alternatives, so that it or something better than it may be done in a manner that is easier and more rewarding.
The Qur’an states: “It is not God’s will to cause you distress; rather, it is God’s will to make you pure.” [5:6]. It says elsewhere: “God wills to make things easy for you, for human beings were created weak.” [4:28].
The Prophet (saws) stated: “Make things easy, and do not make them hard. Give people words of good news, and do not drive them away.” [Sahih Bukhari]. He (saws) also said: “The essence of this religion of Islam is ease; no one goes to extremes in
this religion but that it will get the better of him. Seek to do what
is right. Try to get as close to what is right as possible, and give
people good news.” [Sahih Bukhari]. A third Hadith relates that the Prophet (saws) said: “If I command you to do something, do of it what you are capable of doing." [Sahih Muslim]
For some Muslims, Islam does not seem authentic if it is not hard. Occasionally, they adopt unnecessarily rigorous positions that push their psyches to the breaking point. Yet the Prophet (saws) made it clear that Islam is a religion of ease and that suffering for the sake of suffering is not laudable and does not please God. The Prophet (saws) preferred choosing the easiest way to do things; an authentic Hadith reports that: “The Prophet (saws) was never given the choice between two good things, one of which was easier than the other, but that he chose the easier of them.” [Sahih Bukhari]. The Prophet (saws) said: "Certainly, the best part of your religious practice is what is easiest for you." [Musnad al-Imam Aḥmad]
The difference between removing harm (the previous maxim) and alleviating hardship (this maxim) is essentially a matter of degree. As demonstrated in the maxim “harm must be removed,” Islamic law defines harm to include lesser harms. When the broad definition of harm is applied to lesser harms, the two maxims tend to overlap. Taken together, they testify to Islam’s commitment to reasonable norms that are free of harm and filled with benefit as much as possible.
The following examples illustrate how the alleviation of hardship and the removal of (lesser and greater) harm may overlap. The illustrations pertain to the allowances Islam makes for Muslims to break the obligatory fast of Ramadaan. Muslims are not required to fast when traveling, although in some cases fasting during travel is easy; in such cases, the law’s alleviation of hardship is extremely broad and takes in even the most minimal forms of difficulty. Islam removed the obligation of fasting from people who lack the capacity to fast due to infirmity, pregnancy, and similar reasons.
In safer cases, the license to break the fast under these conditions constitutes an alleviation of hardship; in more serious ones, it constitutes the removal of (lesser or greater) harm, depending on the degree of severity. In the following case, allowance to break the fast was clearly an instance of removing greater harm.
When one of the Prophet’s (saws) Companions would attempt to fast the month of Ramadaan, he would fall unconscious and froth at the mouth; the Prophet (saws) exempted him altogether from fasting and directed him to feed one poor person for each day of the fast.
Islamic law instituted numerous other religious licenses to lighten hardship; the principles underlying each of them demonstrates the pliability of the law and the underlying principle that hardship for its own sake is undesirable. In extreme cold or the absence of water, Muslims are allowed to purify themselves ritually by contact with clean earth (tayammum).
Travelers are allowed to combine prayers, and the Prophet (saws) gave special permission to perform the sunset and night prayers together on rainy nights or when the streets are muddy following rains, although ordinarily each prayer must be performed at separate times.The Prophet (saws) gave two of his Companions special permission to wear silk (although silk is otherwise forbidden for men) in order to alleviate skin irritations.
Likewise, Islamic law gave Muslim men permission to fill dental cavities with gold (although men are not allowed to wear it) to alleviate the hardship of using other materials, which, at that time, did not make good fillings.
For centuries, prayer times were determined by the movements of the sun and the indications in the sky of dusk, night, and dawn. Today, urban areas are lit at night and buildings often block out the sky. Traditional methods of determining prayer times are no longer easy; in some cases, they have become impossible. To alleviate this hardship, most Muslims today rely on prayer timetables. When flying, it is widely regarded as permissible to pray in one’s seat by making minimal gestures indicative of prayer and without needing to face toward Mecca. Given the length of urban commutes in large cities, some scholars allow commuters to combine prayers, although the distances they drive may fall short of the definition of travel in Islamic law.
Finally, the maxim “hardship must be alleviated” sets a critically important standard for new or lapsed Muslims; only the most basic obligations should be expected of them, and the transition should be gradual and undemanding.
For some Muslims, Islam does not seem authentic if it is not hard. Occasionally, they adopt unnecessarily rigorous positions that push their psyches to the breaking point. Yet the Prophet (saws) made it clear that Islam is a religion of ease and that suffering for the sake of suffering is not laudable and does not please God. The Prophet (saws) preferred choosing the easiest way to do things; an authentic Hadith reports that: “The Prophet (saws) was never given the choice between two good things, one of which was easier than the other, but that he chose the easier of them.” [Sahih Bukhari]. The Prophet (saws) said: "Certainly, the best part of your religious practice is what is easiest for you." [Musnad al-Imam Aḥmad]
The difference between removing harm (the previous maxim) and alleviating hardship (this maxim) is essentially a matter of degree. As demonstrated in the maxim “harm must be removed,” Islamic law defines harm to include lesser harms. When the broad definition of harm is applied to lesser harms, the two maxims tend to overlap. Taken together, they testify to Islam’s commitment to reasonable norms that are free of harm and filled with benefit as much as possible.
The following examples illustrate how the alleviation of hardship and the removal of (lesser and greater) harm may overlap. The illustrations pertain to the allowances Islam makes for Muslims to break the obligatory fast of Ramadaan. Muslims are not required to fast when traveling, although in some cases fasting during travel is easy; in such cases, the law’s alleviation of hardship is extremely broad and takes in even the most minimal forms of difficulty. Islam removed the obligation of fasting from people who lack the capacity to fast due to infirmity, pregnancy, and similar reasons.
In safer cases, the license to break the fast under these conditions constitutes an alleviation of hardship; in more serious ones, it constitutes the removal of (lesser or greater) harm, depending on the degree of severity. In the following case, allowance to break the fast was clearly an instance of removing greater harm.
When one of the Prophet’s (saws) Companions would attempt to fast the month of Ramadaan, he would fall unconscious and froth at the mouth; the Prophet (saws) exempted him altogether from fasting and directed him to feed one poor person for each day of the fast.
Islamic law instituted numerous other religious licenses to lighten hardship; the principles underlying each of them demonstrates the pliability of the law and the underlying principle that hardship for its own sake is undesirable. In extreme cold or the absence of water, Muslims are allowed to purify themselves ritually by contact with clean earth (tayammum).
Travelers are allowed to combine prayers, and the Prophet (saws) gave special permission to perform the sunset and night prayers together on rainy nights or when the streets are muddy following rains, although ordinarily each prayer must be performed at separate times.The Prophet (saws) gave two of his Companions special permission to wear silk (although silk is otherwise forbidden for men) in order to alleviate skin irritations.
Likewise, Islamic law gave Muslim men permission to fill dental cavities with gold (although men are not allowed to wear it) to alleviate the hardship of using other materials, which, at that time, did not make good fillings.
For centuries, prayer times were determined by the movements of the sun and the indications in the sky of dusk, night, and dawn. Today, urban areas are lit at night and buildings often block out the sky. Traditional methods of determining prayer times are no longer easy; in some cases, they have become impossible. To alleviate this hardship, most Muslims today rely on prayer timetables. When flying, it is widely regarded as permissible to pray in one’s seat by making minimal gestures indicative of prayer and without needing to face toward Mecca. Given the length of urban commutes in large cities, some scholars allow commuters to combine prayers, although the distances they drive may fall short of the definition of travel in Islamic law.
Finally, the maxim “hardship must be alleviated” sets a critically important standard for new or lapsed Muslims; only the most basic obligations should be expected of them, and the transition should be gradual and undemanding.
2 comments:
Asslamualikum
the hadith which is mentioned in musnad imam ahmed ("Certainly, the best part of your religious practice is what is easiest for you.")
i searched in many goods cites but i couldnt get any reference from it
can you please provide me the reference in detail
barakallahu feek
Waalaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullah,
The Hadith says its in Musnad of Imaam Ahmad book of Hadith and so no site online will have it unless someone has Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and sadly online there is no collection of such available anywhere. If possible Insha’Allah please ask someone who has a hardcopy of Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and search in it physically.
Jazak Allah khair wa BarakAllahu feek for your comment.
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