FAITH, FREEDOM, AND THE LAW: A MAQĀṢID AL-SHARĪ‘AH APPROACH TO RELIGIOUS RIGHTS

Nor Ashikin Md Nasir; Siti Aisyah Samudin; Siti Zubaidah Ismail

doi:10.22452/

Authors

Nor Ashikin Md Nasir Northern University of Malaysia
Siti Aisyah Samudin University of Malaya
Siti Zubaidah Ismail University of Malaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22452/

Abstract

Freedom of religion is one of the issues that is often discussed in the context of human rights and Islamic law. Islam recognizes freedom of religion with the principle of “There is no coercion in religion” (Surah al-Baqarah, 2: 256), but at the same time, Islam also emphasises the protection of the faith of Muslim as one of the main objectives of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, which is Hifz al-Din (preservation of religion). This study aims to examine the concept of religious freedom from the perspective of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah by balancing the protection of faith and social tolerance. This approach analyses the views of classical and contemporary Islamic scholars. The results of the study found that Islam practices a balance between maintaining the purity of the faith of Muslim and respecting the right of adherents of other religions to practice their beliefs. Therefore, an approach based on the principles of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah that emphasizes justice (adl), ihsan (ihsan), and the public good should be prioritized in addressing the issue of religious freedom in the Muslim world today.

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