Need (hajah) in fiqh

الحاجة

Hajah in the language is want; as a technical term it is what people need to remove a hardship that would otherwise lead to constriction. The law takes need into account in worship, custom, dealings and offences: it relaxes rules for the sick and the traveller and permits what would not be allowed without need, such as the sale of fresh dates for dried dates on the tree (the ariya). The schools differ on whether need is an independent basis for a ruling. ^{1 2 3 4 5}