Shatibi's Philosophy of Islamic Law

This thesis studies Shâtibi's (d.790/1388) frequently quoted yet little explored and often misunderstood concept of maslaha. The thesis argues that Shatibi' s doctrine, that the protection of the maslaha of men is the main objective of Islamic law, was a product of the grave need of his time to adapt Islamic legal theory to new social conditions. Certain theological and moral considerations had limited the validity of maslaha as a principle of legal reasoning. After an analysis of such considerations, Shatibi proposed maslaha as the most fundamental source of Islamic law. Shatibi was, however, reluctant to accept the logical conclusions of his argument and let his definition of ta'abbud be ambiguous.