A Structural Model for Human Development, Does Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah Matter!

Abstract

Islamic scholars agree that Islam has the ultimate goal of being a mercy to humanity. This is, in fact, the primary purpose of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to promote human well-being. The main purpose of this study is to test how Maqāṣids’ al-Sharīʿah contribute to promote human welfare. We use a partial least squares-path model that allows us to identify the causal relationships between Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah components proposed by Al-Ghazali (Ḥifẓ al-Nafs, Ḥifẓ al-Dīn, Ḥifẓ al-ʿAql, Ḥifẓ al-Māl, Ḥifẓ al-Nasl) and their impact on human well-being. Using a sample of 30 Islamic countries, our empirical results show that dimensions used for Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah objectives are homogeneous and representative. Globally, we find that Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah contribute significantly to human well-being in Islamic countries. We show that Ḥifẓ al Nafs and Ḥifẓ al Dīn are the most significant components that affect human well-being. While we find evidence that Ḥifẓ al ʿAql didn’t have a significant impact on human development index. This may be due to other factors that can affect the quality of life in some Islamic countries such as the effect of natural resource wealth.