Necessity (Darurah) and Forgetfulness (Nisyan)

The rules of shariah make exceptions for cases of necessity when, for instance, one has to take forbidden food in order to save one’s life. But necessity (darurah) has its own set of rules, which this chapter addresses in detail. Briefly, darurah is defined as a situation that entails fear for loss of one’s life, affliction with grave bodily injury, or loss of property and honor with a degree of certainty that arises from one’s knowledge of the situation such that it leaves the victim with no choice for an alternative. The same analysis applies to forgetfulness (nisyan), which is when someone takes forbidden stuff by mistake or due to ignorance. In such a case, the person is exonerated by shariah.