221210P - RESEARCH METHODS and APPLIED MAQASID STUDIES

Official closing address if the International Research Symposium on applied maqasid studies held at Ibn Taymiyah Conference Room Level 3 Kulliyah of Economics and Management Sciences IIUM Gombak at 4.30pm KL time By Dr Omar Hasan Kasule MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics

 

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• Systematic search for generalizable knowledge

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

• Research questions
• Asking the right questions.
• Avoid irrelevant questions which fall under the rubric of كثرة السؤال

 

Hypotheses

• Stating and testing hypotheses – Ibrahim’s quest for Allah and killing the birds
• The null hypothesis

 

Understanding mechanisms underlying observed phenomena

• Prohibition of alcohol
• Prohibition of pork
• Application of maqasid

 

EMPIRICISM

• Research-based on actual problems and issues in society
• Prophet discouraged hypothetical questions
• The Qur’an calls for observation of ourselves and our environment: basis of empirical research – قل ها توا  برهانكم ان كنتم صادقين
• We do not accept facts without evidence – Burhan daliil

 

THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH

• Objectivity – istiqamat
• Balance – tawaazun الميزان
• Purposiveness – gha’iat
• أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ المؤمنون ﴿١١٥
• أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ الشعراء ﴿١٢٨

 

MAQASID AS DEFINITION OF PURPOSIVENESS

• Hospital sign ‘انتظار النساء’ has two meanings only the maqsad can guide us
• Maqasid give a higher meaning to the ahkam الاحكام الجزىية – فقه الجزئيات
• Maqasid are a bird’s eye view that guide specific hukm
• Maqasid are basically part of usul al fiqh but we have given ourselves the liberty to extend them philosophically to other disciplines; we have to be careful not to extend beyond the correct mandate
• Applied maqasid studies are very relevant as they seek to apply the general principles of maqasid to real life
• Maqasid do not negate حكم فقه الجزئيات but provide an alternative pathway or context

 

MAQASID AS PROVIDING A CONTEXT FOR HUKUM SHARAI

• Many presentations suggest that we can derive specific rulings from maqasid
• Have the maqasid replaced حكم شرعي  from the traditional sources of Quran, sunnat, qiyas and ijma?
• I think that the maqasid provide a wider context for ijtihad and are still part of usul al fiqh
• We have to be careful about deriving specific rulings on specific issues from the maqasid
• Maqasid can be the only source where the normal usul sources are silent

 

MAQASID: Theory or practical?

• We are proud of maqasid because they provide a brief, succinct and comprehensive theory for our law
• Secular law struggles to find its ‘underlying theory’ but on application that theory fails to cover all aspects of the existing law
• Applied maqasid research is empirical research based on field data collection with the aim of showing how real life conforms to or deviates from the maqasid
• Applied maqasid research may also be data collection to show the mechanisms and factors of implementation