Which is more prioritized: preserving life or preserving religion? And what are the evidences from the Quran, Sunnah, and the sayings of jurists that support prioritizing the preservation of religion over the preservation of life?
The five necessities are: religion, life, intellect, progeny (or lineage), and wealth. Some have added: honor. It is well-known that the preservation of religion takes precedence over other necessities, such as prioritizing jihad over the preservation of life. However, this order is a matter of (independent reasoning) and there is disagreement regarding it. There is a view that prioritizes the preservation of life over the preservation of religion, and there are many examples of this, such as the permissibility of uttering disbelief when under duress, and eating carrion when in dire necessity. Al-Amidi elaborated at length in his defense of prioritizing the preservation of the foundation of religion, and he responded to the arguments of the other view.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/23760
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 23760
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy