Al-Waadih Fee Usool ul-Fiqh by Muhammad Hussein Abdullah

This Asl (origin) of Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah has been differed upon amongst the Fuqahaa of the Muslims and so the Hanafiyah and the Shaafi’iyah did not consider it to represent an ‘Asl (origin) established in itself and they inserted it within the area of Al-Qiyaas. This is whilst the Maalikiyah and the Hanaabilah viewed that the Masaalih Al-Mursalah are to be taken as long as they fulfil the conditions that they placed down for their utilisation. In their view they represent that which realises the Maqaasid Ash-Sharee’ah (the intent of the Sharee’ah) and even if they do not have a specific text for them.

Al-Imaam Al-Ghazaaliy adopted Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah and called it ‘Al-Istislaah’ and this adoption was within specific limitations. These were that is represented a Daroorah (necessity) from amongst the five Darooraat (necessities) which are the preservation of the Deen, the life (Nafs), the progeny/lineage (Nasl), the mind (‘Aql) and property (Maal). They also needed to be Qat’iy (definite) in respect to bringing or attaining the benefit or repelling the harm in addition to them being of general benefit where the benefit returns to the Muslims on mass and not to a particular person or specific group of the Muslims in exclusion to others.

Consequently, Al-Ghazaaliy took the Maslahah in the place of the Daroorah (necessity) and this is not from the Maslahah Al-Mursalah according to the view of those who uphold it. That is because ‘The Darooraat (necessities) make the Mahzhooraat (prohibitions) permissible’ is classified as a Shar’iyah principle, the adoption of which returns back to the Shar’iyah texts like the Kitaab, the Sunnah and Ijmaa’ and does not go back to Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah that has no text for it.

Al-Imaam Maalik took from Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah the most. He used the following evidences as proof and those who held Al Masaalih Al-Mursalah also took these evidences. They are:

1 - That The Sahaabah had adopted Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah and examples of this include:

A – They compiled the Masaahif after the era of the Messenger (saw) and it was the Maslahah that drove them to undertake that, represented in preserving the Qur’aan to protect it from being lost.

B – ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (ra) would take a half from the Wulaah (governors) from amongst those whom he accused in respect to their wealth due to their mixing of their private wealth with the wealth that they would attain due to their governorships. So if they did not provide a good reason for the amount of wealth they had accumulated, he would take half of the wealth and include it in the Bait ul-Maal (treasury) of the Muslims. It was the general Maslahah (of the people) that motivated him to undertake that course of action.

C – The Sahaabah decided and approved of the killing of a group (in punishment) for the killing of a single person if they participated in that person’s killing. That was because the Maslahah dictated that.

2 - If the Maslahah was in line with the Maqaasid of the Shaari’ (legislator) and from the Jins (kind/type) that have been established to be from the Masaalih, then taking it would be in conformity and agreement to the Shaari’s Maqaasid whilst neglecting it would represent neglecting the Maqaasid of the Shaari’ (i.e. the aims and what is being intended to be sought) and neglecting the Maqaasid of the Shaari’ is Baatil (invalid) and not permissible. It is therefore obligatory to adopt by way of the Maslahah upon the basis that it represents an Asl (origin) that stands in its own right concurrent or in line with the Sharee’ah.

3 - If the Maslahah Al-Mursalah is not utilised in the case where it is from the type of the Masaalih of the Shar’iyah the Mukallaf will find himself in difficulty and hardship. This is whilst Allah Ta’Aalaa has said:

And He Ta’Aalaa said: