The Ethical Turn in Legal Analogy: Imbuing the Ratio Legis with Maṣlaḥa

Al-Ghazālī’s articulation that the purposes of the divine Law (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa) are to attain maṣlaḥa for the five necessary elements of human existence was not only novel but had long-lasting influence on the way Muslim jurists understood the procedure of analogy (qiyās). The correctness of the ratio legis was determinable by its consequences in bringing about maṣlaḥa. This shift was possible only by intellectual shifts in understanding the relationship between ethics and law. This paper traces the development in conceptions of ethics and its impact on the procedure of analogy in three 5th/11th century predecessors of al-Ghazālī, namely al-Baṣrī, al-Dabbūsī, and al-Juwaynī. It shows that al-Ghazālī’s definition of the purposes of the Law was developed based on previous conceptual shifts in the ratio legis from being a sign for the ruling to reflecting the ethical content of the divine injunction

The Role of the Biographer in Constructing Identity and Doctrine: Al-ʿAbbādī and his "Kitāb Ṭabaqāt al-fuqahāʾ al-shāfiʿiyya"

This paper explores the role of the biographer in compiling a biographical dictionary, focusing on al-ʿAbbādī’s (d. 458/1066) work on the Shāfiʿī ‘school’ of law. The paper argues that al-ʿAbbādī straddles a fine line of faithful transmission of school doctrines and artful arrangement of the materials in order to shape the identity, authority structures, and doctrines of the school according to his vision. To highlight al-ʿAbbādī’s role in constructing the identity and authority structures of the school the paper focuses on three areas: first, how al-ʿAbbādī lays out his vision of the school in the entry of the eponym of the school by delineating the areas of law that distinguish al-Shāfiʿī from other founders of schools of law; second, how al-ʿAbbādī deals with contradictory positions held among members of the school; third, how he gives the school of law also a theological identity (Ashʿarism) by discussing such topics as free will, the createdness of the Qurʾān, and the definition of faith (īmān). The paper details the author’s range of editorial hints and techniques of presentation that guide his audience to the ‘correct’ Shāfiʿī doctrine. It presents reasons why al-ʿAbbādī takes recourse to these measures and points to the effects of his presentation of school doctrines

Maṣlaḥa and the Purpose of the Law

Focusing on writings of legal theory by leading jurisprudents from al-Jaṣṣāṣ (d. 370/980) to al-Shāṭibī (d. 790/1388), this study traces the Islamic discourse on legal change. It looks at the concept of maṣlaḥa (people?s well-being) as a method of extending and adapting God?s law, showing how it evolves from an obscure legal principle to being interpreted as the all-encompassing purpose of God?s law

Maslaha and the purpose of the law : Islamic discourse on legal change from the 4th/10th to 8th/14 th century

xiv, 370 p.; 25 c

Maṣlaḥa and the purpose of the law : Islamic discourse on legal change from the 4th/10th to 8th/14th century

Focusing on writings of legal theory by leading jurisprudents from al-Jaṣṣāṣ (d. 370/980) to al-Shāṭibī (d. 790/1388), this study traces the Islamic discourse on legal change. It looks at the concept of maṣlaḥa (people?s well-being) as a method of extending and adapting God?s law, showing how it evolves from an obscure legal principle to being interpreted as the all-encompassing purpose of God?s law. Discussions on maṣlaḥa?s epistemology, its role in the law-finding process, the limits of human investigation into divinecommands, and the delineation of the sphere of religious law in Muslim society highlight the interplay between law, theology, logic, and politics that make maṣlaḥa a viable vehicle of legal change up to the present

İslam Hukuk Teorisinde Yeni Temayüller: Yeni Bir Hukuk Kaynağı Olarak Makâsıdu’ş-Şeria?

İslam hukukunun maksatları (makâsıdu’ş şeriʻa), geleneksel olarak Gazali tarafından açıklanan maslahat tanımına bağlanır ve fıkhî analoji (kıyas) ile kaideler (kavâid) bağlamında kullanılır. Bu makale İbn Aşur, Yusuf el Karadavi, Ahmet el Hamlişi, Yahya Muhammed ve Cemaleddin Atiyye gibi alternetif yaklaşımları destekleyen İslam hukukçularının çalışmalarında makâsıdu’ş-şeriʻaya dair son yorumları ele almaktadır. Gazali’nin zaruriyât tanımını reddetmeden beşin üzerine çıkartarak adalet, özgürlük ve eşitliği dahil etmek; makâsıd kategorilerini hassaslaştırmak ve daha detaylı bir maslahat hiyerarşisi oluşturmak; uygun hukuk alanının ötesinde İslam hukukunun maksatlarının tatbik sahasını genişletmek; böylece toplumun kamu politikaları aracılığıyla şekillenmesinde maslahat düşüncelerine pro-aktif bir rol vermek gibi çeşitli temayüller gözlemlenebilir. Şeriatın amaçlarına yönelik yeni yorumlarda, İslam hukuk teorisinin (usûl-i fıkıh) geleneksel dört hukuk kaynağının değiştirilmesi de önerilmektedir

Islamic Philosophy, Science, Culture, and Religion

Islamic intellectual thought is at the center of this collection of articles honoring Dimitri Gutas by friends, colleagues, and former students. The essays cover three main areas: the classical heritage and Islamic culture; classical Arabic science and philosophy; and Muslim traditional sciences