The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

26 Rabi ul Awwal 1447 / 19 September 2025

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

One of the most beautiful things one may notice is that children usually come up with deep and strange philosophical questions which tend to either make us annoyed or pick our brain. These questions are usually the continuous and repetitive “why” question. For example a child may ask: “Why do you lock the door at night?” Followed by a whole string of “why” questions until the child receives a satisfactory response and understanding. The question of “why” is equivalent to the question of “What is the Maqasid?” The levels of why and the exploration of Maqasid will take us on a journey from the details of small simple actions such as locking a door at night to the levels of mutual benefit and safety and further.

Maqasid al Shariah is considered and known to be a branch of Shariah which answers challenging questions of “why” on varying levels. (Auda, 2008) For example:
• Why do Muslims greet with salaam (peace)?
• Why do Muslims have to pray five times a day?
• Why is drinking any amount of alcohol a major sin in Islam?
• Why is smoking weed or any intoxicant for that matter, as prohibited as drinking alcohol?

The term Maqsid (plural:Maqasid) refers to a purpose, objective or principle. Maqasid al Shariah are the objectives or principles behind Islamic legal rulings. According to a number of legal jurists, it is considered as an alternative expression for Maslahah (interest/benefit of the people).

Islamic legal jurists have agree that the ultimate objective of Maqasid al Shariah is to serve the interest (جلب المصالح) of all humankind and to save them from harm (دفع المفاسد). However they differed in defining Maqasid al Shariah. (Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki et al., 2011)

Imam Abu Hamid al Ghazzali defined Maqasid by stressing concern of safeguarding five objectives as follows: (1993 ,الغزالي الطوسي, p. 174)َ

مقصود الشرع من الخلق خمسة: و هو أن يحفظ عليهم دينهم و نفسهم و ُعقلهم و نسلهم و مالهم، فكل ما يتضمن حفظ هذه الأصول الخمسة فهو مصلحة، و كل ما يفوت هذه الأصول فهو مفسدة و دفعها مصلحة
“The objective of the Shariah as far mankind is considered are five. It refers to the safeguarding their faith (deen), their lives (nafs), their intellect (aql), their offspring (nasl) and their wealth (maal). Whatever ensures the safeguarding of these five serves public and is desirable, and whatever hurts them is against public interest and its removal is desirable.”

Imam Ibn Ashur defines Maqasid al Shariah from a broader perspective: (2004 ,ابن عاشور, p. 194)

أن المقصد العام من التشريع فيها هو حفظ نظام الْمة، واستدامة صلاحه بصلاح المهيمن عليه وهو نوع الإنسان. ويشمل صلاحه وصلا َح عقله وصلا َح عمله وصلا َح ما بين يديه من موجودات العالم الذي يعيش فيه
“The general objective of the Shariah is to preserve the social order of the community and insure its healthy progress by promoting the adequacy, well-being and virtue of the human being. The adequacy of human beings consist of the soundness of their intellect and the righteousness of their deeds, as well as the goodness of the things of the world in which they live that are put at their disposal.”

May Allah accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah!