Maqasid Al-Shariah Made Simple

Download or read book Maqasid Al-Shariah Made Simple written by Mohammad Hashim Kamali and published by International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maqasid al-Shari’ah, or the higher goals and objectives of Islamic law, is an important and yet somewhat neglected theme of the Shari’ah. Generally the Shari’ah is predicated on the benefits of the individual and that of the community, and its laws are designed so as to protect these benefits and facilitate improvement and perfection of the conditions of human life on earth. This easy to read guide gives a bird’s eye view of the subject, simplifying its main principles to help readers understand the subject of maqasid al-shari’ah and how it explains the ‘wisdoms behind rulings.’ The paper focuses on a general characterisation of maqasid al-shari’ah and its origins in the Quran; the classification of maqasid; historical developments and the contributions of some of the leading ulama to the theory of maqasid; the differential approaches the ulama have taken toward the identification of maqasid; and finally the relevance of maqasid to ijtihad and the ways in which maqasid can enhance the scope and caliber of ijtihad.