The Rule of Simplification and Its Role in Deducing Laws of Pilgrimage

Pondering over the method of the holy legislator in enacting Islamic subsidiary laws in general and that of Hajj rituals and lesser pilgrimage in particular indicates that the lawmaker in Islamic law made the laws based on simplicity upon religiously accountable persons and the holy lawmaker has taken simplicity into consideration when enacting the laws. In other words, the holy lawmaker has made laws in a way that it will be simple for religiously accountable persons to implement them. Knowing the method of enacting the laws by the holy lawmaker, especially the laws of pilgrimage, is so important as it guides us towards the general rule in jurisprudence known as “rule of simplification”; the rule issuing decrees based on which is clearly seen in the books of the Jurists and their practical way of life in deducing religious laws. Accordingly, by citing this rule, a jurist is able to deduce a law for the religiously accountable persons in such a way that it will be simple for them to implement. Likewise, through this rule, he is able to issue his decrees particularly in the chapter on pilgrimage as alternative the decrees issued based on precaution that can be difficult for his followers in some cases.