Maqasid Al-Shariah

Hello! :) Today we will be going a bit spiritual and discuss on Maqasid Al-Shariah. 

By definition, Maqasid Al-Shariah means the objectives of Shariah. In other words, it is the objective behind Islamic rulings and it's purpose must lead to the fulfillment of some good (maslahah), or the avoidance of some mischief (mafsadah). In short, it is the essence of our deeds, with the main objective being to promote and protect the well-being of people and nature. 

Under Maqasid Al-Shariah, there are 5 basic needs that are to be protect by Shariah/Islam.

Ad Deen – Protection of the religion. For example the issues surrounding apotasy in reference to the protection of Islam

Al Nafs – Protection of life. For example the issue requiring to defend your life when threatened.

Al Aqal – Protection of mind/intellect. For example drinking and taking of hallucinatory drugs carries serious consequences

Al Nasab / Al Nasal – Protection of lineage. For example abortion or procreation (in cases for homosexuality), khalwat (in cases for children outside marriage), prevention of bodily harm/injury.

Al Ird – Protection of dignity. For example tarnishing the reputation of chaste women (or men?), or Qazaf. (note : Al Ird used to be part of Al Nasab / Al Nasal)

Al Mal – Protection of property. For example Stealing, armed robbery, breach of trust.

So now that we are aware of what it means, the next step would be to brainstorm on how we can apply that to our lives. Each of the 5 aspects can be seen in various fields in our lives, especially in Islamic countries like Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku Malaysia. 

My opinion is that we are already unconsciously applying Maqasid Al-Shariah to our daily lives, we're just not aware of it yet. As an example, Al Nafs (Protection of life) does not only apply to defending yourself in war. It is also in the small acts of recycling, turning off the tap, promoting sustainability. The life you are protecting is not only yours, but countless others as well. This also applies for Al Nasab (Protection of lineage). The tiny, seemingly inconsequential efforts you do today could mean all the difference for the future generation.

 As explained by Prof. Jasser Auda, part of the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, Doha, we must not treat our religion as a sort of traffic light in life. It is simply not enough to just stop doing what our religion tells us to do and not to do. To truly live knowledgably, we must also find the answer of Why.