Description: This volume offers a theoretical examination of maqasid as well as an analysis of its function in contemporary Islamic law, the first of its kind available in the English language. Mohammad Hashim Kamali, one of the most influential scholars of Islamic law living today, first explores the concept, history of development, methods of identification, and methodological aspects of the maqasid, before turning to a discussion of the application of maqasid to matters of contemporary significance. An exhaustive examination of the dynamic history and contemporary uses of maqasid, Goals and Purposes of Shariah is essential reading for anyone interested in current debates in Islamic law.
Review Quotes: "Goals and Purposes of Shariah makes a compelling case for a modern Islamic jurisprudence (al-fiqh) of human welfare and development that focuses on the objectives (maqasid) of law rather than its sources (usul). As such, the book is an excellent companion to more traditional works of usual al-fiqh, which concern themselves primarily with how to generate rulings rather than with how to realize the higher purposes of those rulings. ...For those seeking a values-based Islamic alternative to "human development" outside a neoliberal framework, the book is necessary reading..." -- R. A. Miller, CHOICE