From the Masaalih (interests) there are those which the Shaari’ (Legislator) has borne witness to them with consideration (I’tibaar), there are those which the Shaari’ has borne witness to them with cancellation (Al-Ilghaa’) and from them are those which the Shaari’ has been silent upon. Therefore, the first category is Al-Masaalih Al-Mu’tabarah (considered interests), the second is Al-Masaalih Al-Mulghaah (cancelled interests) and the third is Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah.

It is said that these are those which the Shaari’ has given consideration to, where the Shaari’ has legislated Ahkaam for them through which they were arrived at. This is like the preservation of the Deen, the life, the mind, the honour and the property.

- So Allah Ta’Aalaa legislated Al-Jihaad and the killing of the Murtadd (apostate) for the preservation of the Deen.

- He Ta’Aalaa legislated Al-Qisaas for the preservation of the life.

- Allah Ta’Aalaa legislated the Hadd (fixed set punishment) for the one who drinks alcohol and prohibited the intoxicating substance to protect the ‘Aql.

- He Ta’Aalaa legislated the Hadd of Az-Zinaa, Al-Qadhf (slander against a woman’s honour/chastity) and Al Luwaat (sodomy) to preserve the honour and lineage.

- And He Ta’Aalaa legislated the Hadd of theft and the highway robber to preserve the property/wealth. It is said that based upon these Masaalih Al-Mu’tabarah and connecting them to their Shar’iyah ‘’Illah (reasoning) in presence and absence Qiyaas is undertaken upon them. Consequently, any reality that the Shaari’ has not provided a text for its Hukm and it is equal to another reality in respect to its Baa’ith (motive/reason) of the Hukm, which is the ‘Illah, takes the same Hukm of the reality that has a text for it, just like we have discussed in the section about Qiyaas.

Therefore, the Ahkaam of Saraqah (thievery) apply upon the Nashshaal (pickpocket) and if what obliges the Hadd (set punishment) of thievery is established in respect to him, then his hand is cut.

These are Masaalih (interests) that have been imagined to be Masaalih whilst the Shaari’ relinquished them and they are not given regard due to the Ahkaam that He legislated, indicating that they are not to be given consideration.

An example of this category of Masaalih (interests) is the Maslahah of the female in regards to her being equal to her male brother within inheritance. The Shaari’ (Legislator) relinquished that by the Daleel of His Qawl Ta’Aalaa:

It is also like the example of the statement of one of the ‘Ulamaa to one of the Khulafaa’ after he had intimate relations with his wife in the day time during Ramadhaan: “You must fast two consecutive months”. Then when he was denounced for that due to not commanding the Khalifah to free a slave, whilst his wealth was sufficient, he said: “If I had commanded him with that (i.e. freeing a slave) then it would have been easy for him and so the Maslahah lay in obliging the fasting upon him in order to act as a deterrent”. This opinion however is invalid (Baatil) and in opposition to the text of the Sunnah because the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to the Arab (Bedouin) who had told him (saw) that he’d had relations with his wives during Ramadhaan: “Free a slave”. He said: “I do not find it (i.e. the means)”. He (saw) then said: “Fast two consecutive months”. He (the Bedouin) replied: “It is beyond my capability”. He (saw) said: “Feed sixty Miskeen” (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim with different wordings). This contains a strong indication of a fixed ordering and as such it is not permitted to go against that

Another example is that related to the Maslahah of the cowardly ones who stay back from Al-Jihaad or the work to resume the Islamic life by bringing the Islamic State into reality, by arguing that it is in order to preserve and safeguard themselves from harm and death. This is whilst the Shaari’ has foregone and cancelled out this outweighed Maslahah by the Ahkaam contained in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah which obligate Al-Jihaad and make the work to establish the Islamic State obligatory.

Allah Ta’Aalaa said:

And the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

These are the Masaalih that no specific Daleel from the legislator has been mentioned for them and bear witness to legitimacy for them or the absence of legitimacy. This is the meaning of them being Mursal or let go (i.e. without restriction).

These therefore are representative of Masaalih (interests) that have not been mentioned in the Shar’iyah Nusoos (texts), positively or negatively. Rather they are left to the estimation of Ijtihaad by way of Ra’y (opinion) in every time period or era.

The legitimacy or illegitimacy of these Masaalih is measured upon the basis of the balance between what they contain in terms of the aspects of benefit and harm, and after study, analysis and thorough examination. If the aspect of true benefit (An-Naf’u l-Haqeeqiy) is of greater weight, it is then taken upon the basis that it is from the Shar’a whilst if the aspects of the Mafsadah (bad element) or Darar (harm) is stronger, then it is left, forbidden and considered as being not Shar’iy (legal/legitimate).

Therefore, the key point in respect to understanding the Masaalih Al-Mursalah, is what dominates upon them in terms of benefit or harm. The Hukm is then built upon that; positively if the benefit is dominant and negatively if the Mafsadah (bad or harmful element) dominates.

Al-Imaam ‘Izz ud-Deen ‘Abdus Salaam in his book ‘Qawaa’id Al-Ahkaam’ (Principles of Ahkaam) says: “Through the following of the Maqaasid Ash-Shar’i (aims of the Shar’a) in respect to bringing Masaalih and repelling Mafaasid, he (Mujtahid) attains from the sum of that a belief (I’tiqaad) or a cognition, that this (so and so) Maslahah is not allowed to be neglected and that this (so and so) Mafsadah is not allowed to be approached, even if there is no Ijmaa’, no Nass (text) and no specific Qiyaas. That is because the understanding of the very same Shar’a obliges that”.

Consequently, there is no text and no Hukm of Ijmaa’ in respect to the Masaalih and as such they are Mursalah (devoid) of the Daleel (evidence). There is no Daleel for them but rather they are taken from the generality of the Sharee’ah having come to bring the Masaalih and to repel the Mafaasid.

An example:

Those who have taken Al-Masaalih Al-Mursalah have regarded a number of actions of the Sahaabah (rah) to be based upon the Masaalih Al-Mursalah. These include:

- The compilation of the Qur’aan into a Mushaf by Abu Bakr (ra).

- ‘Uthmaan Ibn ‘Affaan (ra) ordering the copying of the Mushaf and burning other than that copy. In their opinion, Abu Bakr and ‘Uthmaan saw that the Maslahah dictates taking that action and so they undertook it. This was in the case that they had feared that the Qur’aan would be forgotten following the death of the Huffaazh or that the Muslims would differ in regards to the recitation of the Qur’aan in the absence of written Masaahif (i.e. copies).

It was related that in the time of his Khilafah ‘Umar (ra) spilled and poured out the milk that had fraudulently been mixed with water as a disciplinary measure for the fraudster. This (in their view) was from the angle of the Maslahah Al-‘Aammah (public interest) so that the traders will not deceive the people.