Doubtless, The Exalted Allah makes clear His orders and guides us to what He prohibits. Consequently, both the lawful and the unlawful become obvious. He said:
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (Al Ma'idah, 3(.
Nothing has been left vague or obscure, but what is ambiguous with the existence of clarification and indication is only arrangement of priorities. All the legislations of Islam are true, but sometimes, man is asked to arrange his priorities. I'll present to you real examples. I say:
Man may be in need for an elegant dress, nourishment that gives him strength, medicine that cures his malady, but at a certain moment, when he faces great danger, he turns away from all the above mentioned, and appeals to one resort, by means of which he defends himself against this danger. Then, he returns to his disease and looks for medicine, then he seeks nourishment, and afterwards, he looks for the elegant dress.
Consequently, man rearranges his needs on the level of perception.
The Exalted Allah's instructions to man when He orders him to obey His instructions, and forbids him from transgressing His prohibitions are nothing but to refer to man's abstract needs:
-Prayer is not an unjust practice for the Exalted Allah's slaves to strain themselves to perform. It is rather a promotion of the soul, as well as training man to be obedient and compliant to the Exalted Allah's orders.
-So is the case with fasting. It is not a practice in which the Exalted Allah wants His salves to be hungry. It is rather to make them learn to dispense with the objects their souls are attached to.
-The legislation of Zakat is not a financial penalty. It is a procedure through which equilibrium and distribute of wealth in society are regained.
-Pilgrimage is definitely not a rite to make man feel its hardships if he does not understand its meaning. It is rather to make him interact with it and feel felicity and happiness in performing it. Moreover, the Exalted Allah decrees pilgrimage for whoever is able to afford it.
In fact, man is in need for all these practices. Islam directs man to these needs and makes them adaptable to him.
For example, at times of war, the Muslims need not stand in rows to perform the obligation of prayer. They are asked to direct their hearts to the Exalted Allah at each time of prayer to perform what is called 'the fear prayer', which may be performed without any formalities.
At the time of Jihad (the Holy fighting), the Exalted Allah prohibits the fighters to fast in Ramadan, and considers the one who fast as disobedient to Him.
Accordingly, there is rearrangement of priorities at each time.
Read the Hadith produced by Muslim in his Sahih, as well as in other books. It is related that: "In the year of opening Mecca, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went out aiming at Mecca in Ramadan. He fasted, then he broke his fasting. Thus, people broke their fasting too. He stood on his camel in the afternoon, and asked for a beaker of water and put it on his camel so that people would see it. Then he drank to break his fasting. A man beside him drank also from the beaker following his example. Some said to the Prophet (PBUH): "Some people kept their fasting", for there was but little time to sunset. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "These are the reprobates; these are the reprobates".
The Messenger of Allah described those who fasted in that time as "reprobates', because they did not understand the fiqh (jurisprudence) of the occasion, and did not consider its priority and its circumstance. At the time of war, man is required to be at the highest level of bodily readiness. Besides, fasting weakens him. Consequently, priority at that time was that having food was a worship even in Ramadan, as it coincided with an occasion on which the exalted Allah asked his slaves to have a priority. It was because when the Muslims entered Mecca, they should be in perfect readiness and activity to achieve the required aim and wisdom of that occasion.
Thus, rearrangement of priorities was performed. It is a question that we may be heedless of. Only the most intelligent is able to understand the rule of the circumstance and its necessity.
I have a lot of examples concerning this matter. We are required to have flexibility through which we can understand the aims of legislation, the rule of the time and thus rearrange priorities.

The Prophet (PBUH) knew the Ibrahimian building of Al Ka'bah that was more spacious than Al Ka'bah Quraish built. Quraish had lessened the space of Al Ka'bah by excluding Al Hijr (the room of Isma'il) that had been formerly part of Al Ka'bah. The Prophet (PBUH) knew that it was better for Al Ka'bah to have two doors, an entrance and an exit.
He (PBUH) was a follower of Ibrahim (PBUH), and he was the most similar to him. Moreover, the Prophet was at one time the highest governor of the Ummah, yet he said to 'A'isha, as narrated by Muslim: "Oh A'ishah, had your people not been unbelievers in the recent past (had they not quite recently accepted Islam), I would have pulled down Al Ka'bah down to the ground, and rebuild it with two doors, one in the east, and another in the west. I would have also made it six cubits larger than it is now beginning from Al Hijr, for Quraish had reduced its area when they built Al Ka'bah".
In spite of the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) was the supreme ruler of the Ummah, he did not do what he hoped for concerning the building of Al Ka'bah because he took into consideration the hearts of the people of Mecca who were newly converted into Islam. They used to glorify Al Ka'bah, and they did not have the ability to reason matters wisely, nor did they have wide-mindedness to understand the matter. Consequently, the Prophet (PBUH) abstained from executing rebuilding Al Ka'ba as it had been first built by Ibrahim (PBUH). This conduct of his was nothing but good understanding of priorities and wise awareness of the circumstance.
Rearrangement of priorities can be applied also to legal limits: As is well known, no one can change or alter legal rules, but the Prophet (PBUH) announced a non-execution of a rule during the invasion, as is related in Sunan At Tirmidhi. He said: "No cutting of the hands during the invasion", i.e., the hand of the thief should not be cut in such a circumstance.
If a theft occurred in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH) who was the highest authority at the time of Jihad and invasion of the enemy, the Prophet (PBUH) would prevent the application of such a penalty, because in such a circumstance, it was necessary that the army should not inactivate one of its members.
Consequently, there should be rearrangement of priorities. Jihad is an obligation, and legal limits are necessary, but rearrangement of priorities requires preferring Jihad with its rulings.
Omar Bin Al Khattab (ABPWH) stopped the application of the law of cutting the hand of the thief in the year of famine. He said: "The hand should not be cut in the case of great destitution nor in the year of famine". That is, the hand of the one who steals a bough of dates should not be cut in the year of famine, but if this occurs in the year where there is no famine, the verdict would have executed.
If one committed robbery, Omar (ABPWH) did not allow any of the rulers to cut his hand, and this was nothing but good understanding of the circumstances of the time that Omar took into account.
Another example is when seven hundred of the elders of the Prophet's Companion (PBUH) gathered to defend Othman (ABPWH), including Abdul Allah Bin Omar; Abdul Allah Bin Az Zubeir; Al Hasan and Al Husein, the two sons of the Lady Fatima daughter of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH); Abu Hurairah; and a lot of other Companions. They all gathered to defend Othman when his enemies surrounded his house to kill him. Although Othman had seven hundred of the Companions, he refused to sacrifice any of them to defend him.
Othman (ABPWH) looked at them taking into consideration the result if he allowed the Companions to fight the murderers, who were few men and aimed at spilling his blood. He thought that if he permitted them to fight there would be a great battle that was unprecedented in Medina, during which the blood of the elders of the Companions, who were holding the flag of the Prophet (PBUH), might be shed. What did he say to them?
He took into consideration the lesser of the two evils. Which is more liked to him: should he, alone be killed (Which is the lesser evil), or half of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah be killed?
This was Othman's plan, the Caliph that the Companions were ordered by the Prophet (PBUH) to be with. He stood among them and said: "I swear by the right I have upon you that you withhold your hands and go to your homes".
Then he said to his slaves: "Whoever sheathes his sword, will be free".
The slave would be emancipated and be free if he sheathed his sword .
Consequently, each man went to his house in compliance with the order of the Caliph, and the Caliph of the Muslim remained alone, so the murderers entered his house and killed him.
As Othman (ABPWH) was one of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH), he reasoned matters depending on the knowledge he had learnt from the Prophet (PBUH).
This is how great men behave. Those were the men who understood the value of meanings before acting.
Another example is what happened when our Master, Ali (ABPWH) was killed. All people gathered to give the pledge of allegiance to his son, Al Hasan. The people of Ash Sham gave the pledge of allegiance to Mu'awiyah. This might have caused a major crisis for the Ummah because there would be two Caliphs for the Muslims. What did Al Hasan do?
He reconciled with Mu'awiya, and united the groups of the Muslims.
In spite of the fact that Al Hasan was the grandson of the Prophet (PBUH), the Master of the youth in Paradise, and regardless of all considerations --Al Hasan was the most similar to our Master, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) --, he gave up the Caliphate to Mu'awiya so that the Ummah be united. He could see that uniting the Ummah is prior to all priorities.
Salman Al Farisi (the Persian) (ABPWH) was the Prince of the Believers in Mada'in. In that city there lived one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called Huthaifah (ABPWH) who used to convey some of the Prophetic Ahadith (plural of Hadith). The Prophet (PBUH) might sometimes upbraid one or the other of his Companions in certain circumstances with the purpose of having mercy on them, for he (PBUH) invoked Allah to make his upbraid or swearword to his Companions a mercy for them. Thus, Huthawfah would relate a statement said by the Messenger of Allah directed to some of his companions in certain circumstance. People, who did not see the Prophet (PBUH) were astonished to know that the Prophet (PBUH) would say an angry word in certain circumstance directed to one of his companions.
The people of Mada'in came to their prince, Salman Al Farisi and said: "Huthaifah related that the Messenger of Allah said so and so about one of the companions". Salman answered them: "Huthaifah has more knowledge than me about what he says".
Then Salman called Huthaifah and said to him: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would sometimes be angry and would say angry words to his companions, and at another time, he would be satisfied with them and say something satisfactory. Oh Huthaifah, won't you stop doing that!
Won't you stop doing that so that you do not bequeath people the hatred of some and the love of others, and so that you do not create dissension and disunity among them!?
If you go on conveying incidents about anger or satisfaction with choice that will result in making the Muslims two separate parties".
People heard what Huthaifah said concerning the anger and satisfaction of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in certain circumstances. Consequently, they might classify the Companions into two classes according to what Huthaifah related to them. What Huthaifah had related was all true, but that was told in a circumstance that the listener might not understand well the justification of that anger. They would divide the Companions into two groups and say: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was dissatisfied with these, and satisfied with these".
Consequently, Salman said to Huthaifah: "Won't you stop doing that so that you do not bequeath people the love of some and the hatred of others, and so that you do not create dissension and disunity among them!? By Allah, if you do not stop doing that, I shall write to inform Omar about that".
That is, if you do not understand my point of view, I shall turn the matter to Omar, the Caliph of the Believers, to take decision, as he is more knowledgeable about the results of certain actions, prohibition of evasive legal devices and considering priorities.
Conveying the Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) is praiseworthy, but it should be related in certain circumstances in which the narration of this Hadith would make the Ummah benefit from rearranging and disciplining its affairs.
What is the use of relating a Hadith in a certain circumstance which has no relationship with a legal ruling that disciplines the affairs of the Ummah?
The Companions (ABPWTH) understood the circumstance, and were well acquainted with the rulings of Islam that should be considered without discrimination, in addition to regarding the circumstance, understanding it and consequently, arranging priorities.
Abdul Malek Bin Omar Bin Abdul Azizi came to his father dissatisfied. As a young man, he had all the enthusiasm of the youth in comparison with the wisdom of the elders taught to them by the Exalted Allah Who expanded their breast and their hearts to understand it.
Omar Bin Abdul Aziz was a pious man, in addition to his being wise. When wisdom is joined with piety, one can benefit the others in many matters and achieve many educational purposes.
But his son, who was reared under his supervision, still had the enthusiasm and pride of youth. He could see his father, who had become a Caliph, surrounded by Bani Umayyad who were still tyrannical and very well-off, and who were still living in confusion. He wanted his father to eradicate their power and change what he considered evil as his father had become the Caliph of the Believers.
Abdul Malek said to his father, Abdul Azizi (and see how the father comprehended his son, and how the son talked): "Oh Caliph of the Believers, what would you say to your Lord if He asked you in the Hereafter about a heresy you find but you do not bring it to end, and a Sunnah that you do not bring it to life?
Oh father, you are a man of thought and discernment. You can see by your own eyes the heresy around you, while you keep silent and do not end it, nor do you cause it to die, while you see a lot of lost Sunan, but you do not bring them to life while you are the Caliph of the Believers!?
His father said to him: "Oh son, your folk have tightened this matter knot by knot, and tie by tie (i.e., ruling of Bani Umayyad was established only after complete control of authority). If I try to take what is in their hands, I cannot avoid fighting them where there will be shedding of blood. By Allah, destruction of the world is easier for me than my being the cause of shedding the minimum amount of blood".
This is how Omar Abdul Aziz comprehended the matter. He began changing evil wisely, but the result of his changing was that they poisoned him, and his rule lasted only for less than two years. He (ABPWH) was aware and could understand the circumstance in which he lived in. He knew who his supporters were and those around him, and he gradually tried to change.
I concluded with the well known incident that is kept in history about a pious man called Abd Allah Bin Mubarak. Once, when he was walking to perform the rite of pilgrimage, he saw a maiden coming out of her house to search in the garbage place. She took a dead bird out of it and was in her way to her house. The scene drew the attention of Abd Allah, so he asked her: "Haven't you known that Allah forbids eating the dead?"
The maiden said: "We haven't any food since many days, and since then the dead become lawful to us because we are in a state of severe hunger".
Abd Allah Bin Mubarak had one thousand Dinar on him to spend it on the journey of pilgrimage. He said to his servant: "Leave only twenty dinars for us to help us in our way to go back home, and give the rest to the maiden, for feeding the hungry is far better to Allah than going to pilgrimage.
This was how he arranged priorities, and this was how he was aware that the rule of pilgrimage was something great, and that his going to perform the rite of pilgrimage was something great to the Exalted Allah, but as he was going to do visit Al Ka'bah, he found a Muslim whose sanctity was greater than the sanctity of Al Ka'bah, so he performed the latter obligation.
When are we going to understand priorities?
When shall we interact with the circumstance and with the time and be aware of their rule?
When shall we understand Islam quite well, and at the same time take into consideration the rule of the time?
Today, all the world talk about the necessity of fighting drugs. No doubt, Islam prohibits drugs. There has been today a global day to have collaborative efforts to limit the use of drugs, but we should ask ourselves: what are the consequences of taking drugs?
Will a person whose heart is attached to Allah fall a victim of drugs?
Will a person be an addict of drugs whose soul tastes the pleasure of being close to Allah and feels the intimacy of communication with the Exalted Allah?
Will the people of obedience to the Exalted Allah commit such a sin, or the people of the sin and offense do that?
Will the people of the mosques fall victims to taking drugs, or those whose manners are corrupt and search for another way of pleasure?
Consequently, we are in need for dealing with this issue beginning with its deep roots. We have to deal with it by behavioral direction, environmental direction, and we have to deal also with the circumstance in which this issue exists. This phenomenon was not prevalent in the countries of our Islamic Ummah. It began to spread after the vanishing of the religious incentive, and with the disappearance of turning to Allah. When people return to the Exalted Allah, you will never find an addict of drugs.
Understanding the circumstance, addressee and stage should be present in the mind of anyone who wants to call to the Exalted Allah. Islamic legislation may be present, but you are not good at directing the others to them, that is, you do not take into consideration the time, or circumstance, nor do you call to Allah gradually.
Allahum…, guide us to You favorably, and make us from those who listen to wisdom and follow the best of it.
I say my words and ask Allah's forgiveness.