Kiufundi, maslahah maana yake halisi ni manufaa au maslahi. Kama istilahi ya kisheria, maslahah mursalah inamaanisha kukubali maslahi ya umma pale ambapo hakuna hukumu kuhusu jambo husika kutoka katika Qur'an au Sunnah.

Literally, Maslahah means benefit or interest. As a juristic term Maslahah Mursalah refers to accepting public interest in the absence of ruling regarding an issue from the Qur‟an or Sunnah.

A. Maslahah iliyobatilishwa na maandishi (nass) - Maslahah (faida/maslahi) ambayo hubatilishwa kutokana na hukumu iliyotolewa katika maandishi. Wote wamekubaliana kwamba aina hii ya Maslahah ni batili.

A. Maslahah cancelled by the text - Maslahah (benefit/interest), which is cancelled due to a ruling from the text. All agree that this kind of Maslahah is invalid.

Mfano:

Example:

Mmoja wa Makhalifa alifanya tendo la ndoa na mkewe wakati wa mchana katika Ramadhani. Mmoja wa Ulamaa alimshauri Khalifa afunge miezi miwili mfululizo kama Kafara. Mwingine katika Maalim alimuuliza Maalim huyo huyo jinsi alivyotoa hukumu hii, ilhali Khalifa kwanza analazimika kumwachia huru mtumwa mmoja, na asipoweza, basi awalishe watu 60, na, asipoweza, basi afunge miezi miwili mfululizo.

One of the Khaleefahs had marital relations with his wife during the daytime in Ramadan. One of the Ulema advised the Khaleefah to fast two consecutive months as Kaffarah. Another „Alim asked this „Alim how he issued this ruling when the Khaleefah first must free one slave, and if he could not, then feed 60 people, and, if he cannot, then he should fast two consecutive months.

Mwanachuoni alijibu kwamba, ikiwa angeamuru adhabu mbili za kwanza, basi ingekuwa rahisi kwa Khalifah, na huenda angerudia tendo lile lile. Aina hii ya Maslahah ni batili, kwa sababu hukumu ya suala hilo tayari ipo katika Sunnah. Hukumu ni kwamba mtu akivunja funga yake ya Ramadhani kwa kujamiiana na mke wake, basi ni lazima aachie huru mtumwa. Asipoweza, basi awalishe watu sitini. Asipoweza, basi afunge siku sitini. Hii imetokana na Hadithi iliyopokewa na Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah na Abu Dawud. Amri hii haiwezi kubadilishwa.

The „Alim answered, that if he had ordered the first two punishments, then it would have been easy for the Khaleefah and he might have done the same act again. This form of Maslahah is invalid because a ruling on the issue already exists from Sunnah. The ruling is that if a person breaks his fast in Ramadan by having sexual intercourse with his wife, then he has to free a slave. If he can‟t, then feed 60 people, if he can‟t, then fast 60 days. This is based on a Hadith reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah and Abu Dawud. This order cannot be changed.

B. Maslahah iliyoidhinishwa na Shari‟ah - Manufaa ambayo Shari‟ah haiyakatazi. Kwa mfano, kuwaruhusu watu kufanya biashara. Biashara hii ni maslahi ya watu, na Qur‟ani imeturuhusu kufanya biashara. Wote wanakubaliana kuwa aina hii ni halali.

B. Maslahah approved by the Shari‟ah - Benefit, which the Shari‟ah does not forbid. As an example, allowing people to trade. This trade is the interest of the people and Qur‟an allowed us to conduct trade. All agree that this type is valid.

C. Kuchukua maslahah (manufaa/maslahi) katika kitendo ambacho hakuna hukumu kutoka Qur'ani na Sunnah.

C. Adopting Maslahah (benefit/interest) in an action from which there is no ruling from Qur‟an and Sunnah.

Kwa mfano, kukusanya Qur'ani au kufuta adhabu ya Hadd (kuadhibiwa) kwa wizi wakati wa njaa.

For example compiling the Qur‟an or cancelling the Hadd (punishment) for stealing during famine.

Hakuna mjadala kati ya wanazuoni kuhusu aina mbili za kwanza za Maslahah al-Mursalah. Lakini kuna tofauti ya maoni kuhusu aina ya tatu ya Maslahah.

There is no debate amongst the Ulema on the first two types of Maslahah al Mursalah. But there is disagreement regarding the third type of Maslahah.

Baadhi yao wameikubali chini ya masharti maalum, huku wengine wameikataa kabisa.

Some have accepted it within specific requirements while others have rejected it outright.

Ulamaa waliokubali Maslahah al-Mursalah wametoa hoja zifuatazo:

The Ulema who have accepted Maslahah al Mursalah give the following justifications:

A. Shari‘ah kwa ujumla ilikuja kutimiza maslahi ya watu kwa njia sahihi.

A. Shari‟ah, in general, came to satisfy the interests of the people in the correct manner.

B. Maswahaba (ra) walikubaliana kupitia Maslahah (manufaa/faida) kukusanya Qur'an bila kuwa na ushahidi wowote, ama katika Qur'an au katika Sunnah, wa kufanya hivyo. Hii ni miongoni mwa mifano mingi inayodai kwamba Maswahaba (ra) walikusanya Qur'an kwa sababu ya manufaa yake lakini bila Daleel.

B. Sahabah (ra) agreed through Maslahah (benefit/interest) to compile the Qur‟an without having evidence either in the Qur‟an or in the Sunnah to do so. This is among the many examples claiming that the Sahabah (ra) compiled the Qur‟an due to its benefit but without a Daleel.

Kuhusu hoja ya kwanza, ni kweli kwamba Shari'ah kwa ujumla ilikuja kwa maslahi ya Ummah, lakini hatuwezi kutumia hoja hii kama 'Illah (sababu) ya kuhalalisha kila hukumu. Hukumu zote zinazotokana na Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijma' ya Maswahaba na Qiyas zipo ili kukidhi mahitaji yetu. Zaidi ya hayo, Mwislamu hutekeleza na kufuata sheria kwa kumtii Allah (SWT), na si kwa sababu hukumu hizo ni rahisi, ngumu, au zinahusiana na Maslahah (manufaa). Kwa hiyo hatuwezi kutumia manufaa kama hoja ya kuhalalisha kitendo chochote. Lazima kuwepo na dalili inayoruhusu kitendo kama hicho.

Regarding the first justification, it is true that the Shari‟ah in general came for the interest of the Ummah, but we cannot use this argument as an „Illah (cause) to justify every ruling. All the rulings from Qur‟an, Sunnah, Ijma‟ as-Sahabah and Qiyas are there to satisfy our needs. In addition, a Muslim obeys and implements the rules as obedience to Allah (swt) and not because the rulings are easy, hard or connected with Maslahah (benefit). So we cannot use the benefit as a justification to legalise any action. There has to be evidence allowing such an action.

Kuhusu hoja ya pili, kwa kuchunguza mifano hii yote itadhihirika wazi kwamba Masahaba (ra) waliyaelewa dalili kikamilifu. Kanuni za Usul al-Fiqh hazikuwa zimeandikwa wakati huo. Masahaba (ra) walikuwa wakitoa hukumu kwa sababu ya uwezo wao wa kuelewa lugha na matini. Hatuoni kitendo chochote kutoka kwao ambacho hakikuwa na msingi katika matini.

Regarding the second justification, by investigating all of these examples it will become obvious that the Sahabah (ra) understood the evidences thoroughly. The rules of Usul al-Fiqh were not written at the time. The Sahabah (ra) used to extract rulings because of their ability to understand both the language and text. We do not observe any actions by them, which did not have grounds from the text.

Kuhusu ukusanywaji wa Qur'ani, halikufanywa kwa sababu ya Maslahah. Maswahaba (ra) walielewa kwamba walilazimika kufanya kitu ili kuhifadhi Qur'ani, na hili linaendana na Aya isemayo:

Regarding the compilation of the Qur‟an, it was not done because of Maslahah. The Sahabah (ra) understood that they had to do something to preserve the Qur‟an and this is in compliance with the Ayah:

Hakika Sisi ndio tuliouteremsha Ukumbusho, na hakika Sisi ndio Mlinzi wake. (TMQ Al-Hijr: 9)

“Lo! We revealed the Reminder, and Lo! We verily are its Guardian.” (TMQ Al-Hijr: 9)

Mbali na aya hiyo, kuna Hadithi inayowataka Waislamu kuondoa madhara yoyote au kuepuka kusababisha madhara yoyote. Mtume ﷺ amesema:

In addition to the Ayah there is a Hadith asking Muslims to remove any harm or to avoid causing any harm. The Prophet (saw) said:

"Hakuna madhara wala kudhuru" (Bukhari na Muslim), maana yake ni kwamba madhara hayaruhusiwi.

“There is no Harm or Harming” (Bukhari & Muslim), meaning that harm is not allowed.

Je, kuna madhara gani yanayoweza kuwa makubwa zaidi kuliko kupoteza Qur'an yenyewe? Kitendo cha Uthman (ra) cha kuchoma nakala mbalimbali za Qur'an na kubakiza nakala moja pekee kinaingia chini ya amri ya Aya na Hadith iliyotajwa hapo juu.

What can be a bigger harm than losing the Qur‟an itself? What Uthman (ra) did by burning different copies of the Qur‟an and maintaining only one copy fits under the command of the above mentioned Ayah and Hadith.

Kuhusu Umar (ra) kusimamisha hadd ya kukatwa mkono wakati wa njaa, hilo linapatana na sharti la kukatwa mkono wa mtu kwa wizi. Miongoni mwa masharti hayo ni kwamba ikiwa kosa la wizi limetokea wakati wa njaa, basi hadd inaondolewa. Kwa hiyo, Umar (ra) alitekeleza tu sharti hilo. Mtume ﷺ alisema:

Regarding Umar‟s (ra) cancelling the Hadd for cutting the hand during famine, it is in agreement with the requirement for cutting a person‟s hand for stealing. One of the requirements is that if the crime of theft happens during the famine, then the Hadd is lifted. So, Umar (ra) simply implemented the requirement. The Prophet (saw) said:

"Hakuna kukata mkono wakati wa njaa." Pia, Mtume ﷺ alituagiza tusitekeleze Hadd pale kuna shaka. Zaidi ya yote, kutokana na ufafanuzi wa Hukm Shar‟i, tunapaswa kutambua kwamba ni khitabu cha Shaari‟, Allah (SWT). Aidha, imethibitika vizuri kutoka katika Qur‟ani kwamba Allah (SWT) ameukamilisha Dini yetu na kuchagua Uislamu kuwa Dini hiyo. Hili linaonyesha kwamba Shari‟ah ni kamilifu. Dhana ya Maslahah, hata hivyo, inamaanisha kwamba kuna mambo ambayo hayana hukumu kutoka katika Uislamu, na ili kujaza pengo hili, tunapaswa kutumia maslahi ya umma. Dhana hii si sahihi, na kwa hiyo aina hii ya Maslahah ni batili.

“No cutting in famine.” Also, the Prophet (saw) instructed us not to apply the Hadd in case of doubt. Above all, from the definition of Hukm Shar‟i, we should realise that it is the address of the Share‟, Allah (swt). Furthermore, it is well established from the Qur‟an that Allah (swt) has perfected our Deen and chosen Islam as that Deen. This indicates that the Shari‟ah is perfect. The concept of Maslahah, however, implies that there are some issues without rulings from Islam, and to fill this vacuum, we have to apply public interest. This concept is not correct and therefore, this type of Maslahah is invalid.