Islam Beyond Conflict

Indonesian Islam and Western Political Theory

This volume explores the extent to which moderate Indonesian Islam is able to assimilate leading concepts from Western political theory. The essays explore how concepts from Western political theory are compatible with a liberal interpretation of Islamic universals and how such universals can form the basis for a contemporary approach to the protection of human rights and the articulation of a modern Islamic civil society.

The basic outlook of shari'ah advocated by the theory of al-maqasid was never
completely denied by any of the leading schools of law, although some were
more open to the theory and science of al-maqasid than others. Indeed, except
for ... Al-Juwayni's ideas were then further developed by his pupil, Abu Hamid al-
Ghazali (1111) who wrote at length on the doctrines of maslaha (public interest)
and ta 7/7 (ratiocination) in his works Shifa' al-Ghalil and Al-Mustasfa min 'Ilm al-
Usul.