Editorial

Abstract

It is with great pleasure that I present to the reader the July 2017 issue of IAIS Malaysia’s flagship journal, Islam and Civilisational Renewal. This issue contains six substantive articles and four viewpoints, in addition to several event reports and a book review. I myself write the first substantive article, entitled Actualisation (taf’il) of the Higher Purposes (maqasid) of Shariah. In this article, I explore the ways in which the higher purposes, or maqasid, of Shariah can be applied and actualised. I have identified some of the weaknesses in the way the maqasid have been positioned in the conventional methodology of usul al-fiqh. I also make suggestions on how the maqasid should relate to fiqh, usul al-fiqh and ijtihad respectively. The actualisating aspect of maqasid is expounded through a detailed examination of the ways the maqasid relate to their means (wasa’il). The narrative I have developed then proceeds to offer numerous illustrations of the maqasid-oriented fatwas of both classical and contemporary scholars on various issues of concern to the actualisation of maqasid.