WEEK 3 - Maqasid Shariah & Sustainable Development

This week, we learnt and discussed about the Maqasid Shariah and sustainable development through a Youtube link given by our lecturer, Prof. Dr. Suhaimi bin Mhd. Sarif.

Maqasid Shariah refers to the highest objectives that Islamic law (Shariah) seeks to achieve. There are five objectives of Islamic law, which is protection of faith (حفظ الدين), protection of life (حفظ النفس), protection of intellect (حفظ العقل), protection of lineage (حفظ النسل) and protection of wealth (حفظ المال). It is very important for us to take care of our faith, as it can guide our mind to always do good deeds and avoid bad desires. Beside that, in terms of intellect, we should foster intellectual development and protect our minds from harm, whether through education, free thought or the prevention of substance misuse that can impair our thinking. Furthermore, intellect is the greatest blessing that Allah swt has given to us, allowing us to learn what is right and wrong, as well as differentiate between good and evil. As a result, a good intellect can help us achieve sustainable development.

Next, the objective of Islamic law is the protection of lineage. In Maqasid Shariah, protection of lineage is related to maintaining the family structure, promoting moral integrity and ensuring the well-being of future generations. I remembered a question once asked by our lecturer in the first week we met face to face. He asked us, "What will happen if people do not want to get married and give birth in this world?". There were some answers, like we would have no population, we could lose the generations of our family and many more. There may be some individuals who are worried that their finances are not enough to cover this  challenging life. However, Allah swt said in the Quran that each child brings his own sustenance.

Lastly, wealth in Islam is regarded as a means of human satisfaction to attain success or prosperity that leads to a good life in this world and hereafter. Therefore, Muslims are required to work to accumulate the wealth they earn by doing work that does not contradict the Shariah principles.