The Objectives of Islamic Law: The Promises and Challenges of the Maqasid al-Shari'a

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Scholars, thinkers, and activists around the world are paying increasing attention to a legal reform method that promises to revolutionize the way people think about Islamic law. Known as The Objectives of the Shara (maqid al-shara), the theory offers a way to derive and apply new Islamic laws using an ancient methodology. The theory identifies core objectives that underlie Islamic law, and then looks at inherited Islamic laws to see whether they meet those objectives. According to the maqid theory, historical Islamic laws that meet their objectives should be retained, and those that do notno matter how entrenched in practice or embedded in textsshould be discarded or reformed.
Recently, several scholars have questioned the maqid theory, arguing that it is designed not to reform laws, but to support existing power structures. They warn that adopting the maqid wholesale would set the reform project back, ensuring that inherited Islamic laws are never fully reformed to agree with contemporary values like gender-egalitarianism and universal human rights.
The Objectives of Islamic Law: The Promises and Challenges of the Maqid al-Shara captures the ongoing debate between proponents and skeptics of the maqid theory. It raises some of the most important issues in Islamic legal debates today, and lays out visions for the future of Islamic law.

Reviews

The Objectives of Islamic Law is an excellent collection of essays on the increasingly popular subject of maqasid al-shariah, including several that are written by world-renowned experts in the field. With its multi-perspectival and fresh treatments of many maqasid-related themes, this book is highly recommended reading, especially for those interested in deepening their understanding of an alternative viewthe maqasid approachof the meaning, place, and role of the Sharia in contemporary Islam that now has growing appeal among its intellectual circles. -- Osman Bakar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam
The Objectives of Islamic Law is a much welcomed and indispensable source for the academic study of maqid al-shara. -- Lena Larsen, University of Oslo
This is an excellent volume on the important subject of maqasid al-shari'ah, featuring contributions from leading experts on the subject. This volume certainly makes a significant contribution to the discourse on the evolution of Islamic law and I recommend it highly. -- Mashood Baderin, Professor of Laws, SOAS, University of London

Author Bio

Idris Nassery is postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Islamic Theology at the University of Paderborn.
Rumee Ahmed is associate dean of arts and associate professor of Islamic law at the University of British Columbia.
Muna Tatari is assistant professor of Islamic systematic theology in the Institute of Islamic Theology at the University of Paderborn.