Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, said that “removing embarrassment and removing hardship” is the first foundation of the Islamic legislation, which is included in all Islamic duties, acts of worship and daily behavior. His Eminence noted that the manifestations of this foundation are reflected in fundamental rules that affirm the originality of the principle of removing embarrassment, and its penetration into Qur’anic legislation.

During the seventh episode of his Ramadan program, Grand Imam At-Tayyeb Talk, which has been broadcast for the fifth year, His eminence added that among these universal rules that revolve with this foundation is the rule ‘hardship brings about facilitation.’  An example of this rule is the obligation of prayer that a Muslim must perform while standing. However, it is permissible for him to perform it while sitting or reclining, if he is too sick or too tired to perform it while standing.

His Eminence made it clear that the same rule applies to the obligation of fasting. It is permitted for the Muslim to break his fast in cases of extreme hardship such as the case of the traveler, the sick, the pregnant and breastfeeding women. Allah has blessed us by explicitly mentioning this facilitation in the Almighty’s verse about fasting in Ramadan: “So, whoever of you is sick or is on a journey, then an [equal] number of other days [should be made up for]” and then said “Allah wills ease for you, and He does not will difficulty for you.” (Qur’an, 2: 184-185). 

His Eminence emphasized that jurists enumerated the aspects of mitigation, its applications and effects, and they monitored several types of mitigation in this field. Among them are dropping some acts of worship with an excuse, such as the Hajj when security is lost; shortening the prayer by decreasing the number of rak’ahs (prayer units) such as when on travel; in addition to moving from an original form of worship to an easier one such as when tayammum (dry ablution) replaces water ablution. Other examples are offering prayer before it is due and shortening it, such as when Aẓ-Ẓuhr (Noon) and Al-ˁAṣr (Afternoon) prayers are performed together at ˁArafat; postponing a prayer wile shortening it, such as when Al-Maghrib (Sunset) and Al-ˀIsha (Evening) prayers are performed together at Muzdalifah. More examples include licensing permission after prohibition, such as eating dead meat because of severe hunger, and drinking wine to relieve choking.

His Eminence pointed out that the scholars explained that the principle of “removing the hardship” does not mean complete absence of hardship, whatever its degree may be, but rather the absence of the unusual hardship with which it is difficult to perform what Allah has assigned us to do. Such is the hardship that the Sharia attempts to move by permitting the Muslim to use easier alternatives.

Grand Imam At-Tayyeb Talk has been broadcast for the fifth year on Egyptian and Arab channels. The program was launched in Ramadan 2016. This year, 2021, the program explains the characteristics of the Islamic religion, the moderation of Islam and its manifestations, the rules of legal obligations, the ease of Sharia, the sources of legislation, and the response to fallacies about the Prophet's Sunnah and heritage.