Islam is not Complex
Islam is not a way of life that is complex or difficult. Rather
it is the human being who practises Islam who often makes it
difficult and then, complexity overtakes him so that eventually
he is unable to cope with even the simplest of tasks. The fact
that It is possible for every person to understand and practice
Islam is assured by the following three principles:
Firstly, the basic beliefs contain
no mystery and are therefore easy to comprehend.
Every tenet in Islam is subject to analysis and inquiry. Moreover,
Islam does not present stumbling blocks to the mind. Islam does
not present concepts or ideas which the intellect cannot grasp.
Even the simplest of minds can understand its basic beliefs.
It is therefore not surprising that its beliefs are universal.
Secondly, the most important
and stringent obligations ordained upon Muslims are easy to
undertake. That is, the duties and obligations
laid down by Allah have been graded. And, it is the wisdom of
Allah that the greater the importance He has attached to any
act, the easier it is for everyone to accomplish it. Thus, for
example, the five daily Salat (Prayers) and Sawm
(fasting) during the month of Ramadan are compulsory upon everyone,
since they are within everyone’s reach to accomplish.
Zakat (almsgiving) and Hajj (pilgrimage),
on the other hand, though fundamental pillars of Islam, are
not compulsory upon everyone. If it were made compulsory upon
everyone, then those who did not possess the financial means
would be unable to carry out these duties.
Thirdly, there are provisions
for exemption when it is genuinely not possible for someone
to fulfil an obligation. For instance, if a
person is genuinely unable to stand up and pray, then he is
permitted to sit down or even lie down and pray. Similarly,
if there is no water available to perform the wudu or ablution
before prayer, then one can make tayammum, which is
a simple dry ablution, performed by using clean earth or dust.
Therefore, even when there appear to be difficulties, if one
looks closely at the Shariah or Islamic legal code
as a whole, one will find so many rules relating to exemption
that enable one to practice Islam very easily and this is the
case regardless of the problem: political, economic or simply
personal.
Therefore, as long as one possesses the basic tools, a sound
knowledge of what is stated in the Shariah regarding
a particular matter and an awareness of the responsibility for
ones own actions, a person may
decide for himself when to deviate from the standard.
