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Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development

Discover how theology, particularly Islamic studies, and scientific knowledge can work together towards sustainable solutions on this online course from Universiti Malaya.

Duration

3 weeks

Weekly study

3 hours

100% online

How it works

Unlimited subscription

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Accreditation

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Established

1905

Location

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

World ranking

Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

Use a blend of religion and science to explore sustainability

Sustainable Development is one of the most comprehensive worldwide concepts today in the quest to safeguard the environment. This principle of sustainability has been discovered to be intrinsically linked to the concept of Shariah, which emphasises the importance of continuity not just in this world, but also in the afterlife.

On this three-week course, you’ll explore this link and evaluate the relationship between Islam and global issues including land, water, wildlife, and forest conservation.

Delve into environmental management and challenges

As you uncover different scientific and theological standpoints, you’ll examine environmental challenges to determine the broad-ranging causes and effects.

You’ll also be exposed to fundamental concepts that will be used to examine environmental challenges, such as, the benefit-risk concept (maslahah-mafsadah), the priority (awlawiyyat) and moderation (wasatiyyah) principle in environmental management.

Explore how Maqasid Al-Shariah can protect environmental sustainability

Both concepts, sustainability and Shariah, set their own goals and objectives, known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Maqasid Al-Shariah (MS).

You’ll explore how both of these targets are critical as key indicators of human survival and environmental sustainability.

Learn from the expert at Universiti Malaya

Throughout the course, you’ll learn from Dr. Istajib, the only lecturer who has an interdisciplinary academic and research background in shariah, law, and the environment.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to implement sustainability in your workplace and everyday life.

Week 1
Maqasid al-Shariah
- Getting Started
  Creates a welcoming informal environment in which formal learning can take place and facilitates the process of getting to know one another and encourages open and honest communication.
- Islam and Environmental Sustainability
  This section will explain the Islamic conservation principles and the role of Islamic system of life in environmental sustainability via the lenses of aqidah, shariah, and akhlaq.
- Theory and Concept
  In this section, learners will be able to understand and comprehend the theoretical and conceptual framework or foundation of Maqasid al-Shariah in general.
- Fundamental Principles
  “The objective of the Shari‘ah is to promote the well-being of the people, which lies in safeguarding their faith (al-din), lives (al-nafs), intellect (al-‘aql), progeny (al-nasl) and their property (al-mal) - al-Ghazzali.
Week 2
Sustainable Development
- Conceptual Framework
  This section will describe the meaning, pillars, principles and key elements of Sustainable Development.
- History and Case Study
  This section will describe the timeline of sustainable development and the experiences of selected countries.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Targets and Indicators
  The 17 SDGs are interconnected, recognising that actions in one area have an impact on outcomes in others and that development must strike a balance between social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Week 3
Shariah-Sustainability Nexus
- Call For a New Paradigm of Sustainability
  This section will describe the flaws in the concept of sustainable development and why it needs to be revisited.
- Maqasid al-Shariah as Sustainability Ethico-legal Framework
  This section will show some examples of the integration of Maqasid al-Shariah in selected sustainable development goals.
- Benefit-Risk Assessment
  This section will show the application of maslahah-mafsadah standards in benefit-risk assessment for environmental management
- Priority and Moderation Principles
  This section will explain the important principles extracted in the concept of maqasid al-shariah, namely awlawiyyat (priority) and wasatiyyah (moderation) and its role in environmental conservation.
- Wrap up
  Here, we will reflect on what we have gone through out this course.