Islamic Contributions to the Universal Conception of the Common Good in Multi-Confessional Societies: Hermeneutical Foundations

Abstract

This paper examines the structure and origins of ethical and theological argumentation in aš-Šāṭibī’s concept of the Common Good from a hermeneutical perspective and discusses its significance for modern Islamic moraltheorie. After a brief theoretical chronology of the process of theological argumentation within legal tradition, this paper considers some general reasons why maqāṣid concepts were appropriate for an exhaustive reconstruction and reinterpretation of maṣlaḥa within the framework of Islamic ethics.