Reconstructing the Distinctive Paradigm of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah and Maqāṣid al-Qur’ān: A Genealogical Inquiry and Its Contemporary Relevance

Abstract

Contemporary discourse in Islamic legal studies (uṣūl al-fiqh) and exegesis faces a growing methodological dichotomy between the legalistic Maqasid Syari’ah (MS) and the ethically-universal Maqasid Al-Qur’an (MQ). This study aims to explore the paradigmatic distinction, scope, and fundamental function of these two concepts. The methodology employed is a qualitative-analytical approach, grounded in an extensive literature review. Specifically, the research applies genealogical analysis to trace the historical development of MQ, combined with a critical-comparative analysis of key classical works of Uṣūl al-Fiqh and the modern thought of MQ scholars. The findings reveal a significant distinctive conclusion: MS is identified as a historically legalistic-normative paradigm with a partial scope, focusing primarily on the preservation of the five essential needs (al-daruriyyat al-khams) through the inductive method (istiqrā’) based on fiqh rulings. Conversely, MQ is identified as an ethical-moral paradigm with a universal scope (kulliyyat), utilizing a systemic-holistic method to realize the macro-objectives of the Qur’an, such as justice (al-’adl) and human dignity (qīmah insāniyyah).