Thesis Summary
Shahrur criticizes the formulation of the five maqasid as a historical juristic classification rather than a closed, definitive list. He therefore does not treat the maqasid as fixed principles beyond revision; instead, he reconnects them to freedom, rights, dignity, and social reality.
Foundational Atoms
- Freedom as the First Aim of the Sharia
- The Maqasid of the Sharia Are Rights and Freedoms
- The Maqasid of the Sharia Are Broader Than Five
- Al-‘Ird as Dignity and Public Reputation
Its Place in the Book
This structure appears in the latter section of the book, where Shahrur moves from criticizing violence, apostasy, and Salafism to re-examining the juristic frameworks that make religion reducible to closed lists.
Its Effect on the Argument
This structure prevents the maqasid from being read as a closed juristic alternative to the text; instead, it ties them to a rights-based and humanistic horizon: freedom, dignity, honor, and the protection of social life.
Limits of the Reading
This page does not make all maqasid jurisprudence invalid in Shahrur’s view; rather, it delimits his critique of closed classification when it turns into a final list that does not admit reconsideration.