The Absolute Priority: Why Harm to Religion is Beyond Worldly Calculations Introduction: The Temptation to Compromise and the Price of Steadfastness Human life is fraught with difficult choices, often forcing us to choose the "lesser of two evils." Islamic jurisprudence acknowledges this reality through the powerful legal maxim of "Choosing the Lesser Harm"—a beacon of guidance that permits a minor wrong to prevent a greater one. This principle exemplifies the flexibility and mercy of Islamic law. However, this flexibility is not absolute. A bright red line exists, a boundary that cannot be crossed by the winds of temporal interests and harms: the inviolability of religion. The maxim is fundamentally inverted when the price to be paid is "causing harm to the religion," for such harm is not ordinary; it is existential. In the realm of faith, every harm is grave; there is no "minor" or "light" harm to the religion. Section I: The Foundation of the Exception: Deconstructing the Nature of Religion and the World To understand this prohibition, we must deconstruct the inherent nature of both religion and worldly life. 1. Religion is the Identity and the End, the World is the Means and the Arena: God created this worldly life as a place of test and trial, making religion the divine methodology and the gateway to the ultimate abode (the Hereafter). Religion is the map and the compass; the world is the road. Any compromise on religion under the pressure of a worldly circumstance is like tearing up the map and destroying the compass to overcome a mere obstacle on the road. It is spiritual suicide and a collapse of meaning. 2. The Impossibility of Comparing the Absolute with the Relative: Worldly interests (wealth, health, security) are relative and measurable. We can decide which is more important. Religion, however, represents a system of absolute values (such as Monotheism, Justice, and Human Dignity). How can one weigh the declaration of faith "There is no god but God" against saving a life? The question may seem shocking, but Islamic jurisprudence answers: A life that ends in disbelief is a deficient life, while a life that ends in martyrdom for the sake of faith is true life. This was embodied by Bilal ibn Rabah (may God be pleased with him), who, while being tortured under scorching rocks in the heat of Mecca, persistently repeated, "Ahad! Ahad! (The One! The One!)." His worldly benefit (cessation of torture) was zero compared to preserving his faith. Section II: The Rational and Legal Foundations of the Exception This principle is not merely an emotional opinion; it has solid foundations: · The Logic of Higher Objectives (Maqasid): Scholars of Islamic jurisprudence classify the five essential necessities (al-Daruriyyat al-Khams) as: Religion, Life, Intellect, Progeny, and Wealth. They unanimously assert that "Religion" is the supreme objective under which all others are subsumed and measured. The preservation of life is not absolute; it is conditional upon the preservation of religion. This is why Islam prohibits suicide even under extreme pain. When preserving life requires harming the religion (such as through apostasy), the ruling ceases to apply. · Considering the Consequences: If we permitted compromising religion to avoid a worldly harm, it would open a floodgate that could never be closed. Every tyrant would pressure people with hunger and torture to make them renounce their faith. Accepting compromise transforms religion into a commodity in the marketplace of bids, destroying it from within under the guise of "flexibility" and "necessity." · Legal Induction: Consider the evidence from sacred texts: · Coercion in Disbelief: The one forced is allowed to utter a word of disbelief with his tongue, provided his heart remains firm in faith. The concession was in the "word" under threat, not in the "belief of the heart"—the true essence of religion. · The ruling on apostasy: Indicates the severity of violating the community's creed, serving not just as a personal punishment but as a protection for the social fabric from disintegration. Section III: Manifestations of the Exception: From Testimony to Negotiations To make the principle clearer, consider these practical scenarios: · A Dignified Death is Better than a Humiliating Life: The story of the companion Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may God be pleased with him) is a testament. He was tortured with heated metal plates until his flesh melted. He was offered disbelieve to stop the torture, but he refused. The choice was between a worldly harm (death under torture) and a religious harm (disbelief). He chose to bear the greater harm (death) rather than the ultimate harm (betrayal of his faith). · International Negotiations: When Sovereignty Turns into Subjugation: An Islamic state is offered an economic deal worth billions of dollars in exchange for amending a clause in its constitution derived from Islamic Law (e.g., in inheritance or criminal law). Here, the worldly harm (losing funds) might be significant, but the religious harm (abandoning God's ruling and legitimizing that abandonment) is a catastrophe and a denial of divine grace—infinitely greater and incomparable. · Distinguishing "Concession" from "Harm": A critical distinction must be made: · Legitimate Concession (Rukhsah): These are divinely-sanctioned dispensations (like breaking the fast while traveling or ill). This is not harming the religion; it is applying it. · Prohibited Harm (Iḍrar): This is the neglect of fundamental tenets under the pretext of balancing interests (e.g., abandoning prayer for work, or altering Zakat laws to suit a usurious banking system). Conclusion: Religion is Not a Commodity; It is Identity and Existence In conclusion, this legal maxim establishes an essential truth: Islam is a realistic religion, but it is not a principle-less pragmatism. Realism means acknowledging difficulties and finding solutions within a constant framework. Absolute pragmatism dissolves constants in the crucible of immediate interests. The refusal to compromise on religion is not rigidity; it is an affirmation that human beings have a soul, dignity, and a value that transcends their material existence. It is a message that "harm to religion" is the true loss, for it cannot be compensated with wealth or power. As the Quran states: "That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter" (Quran 16:107). Steadfastness in religion is the ultimate benefit, and its neglect is the ultimate harm, and there is absolutely no comparison between the two. Prof.Abdullah Altamimi