Renewal of contemporary Islamic Religious Thought and The Obstacles of Neo-literalism and Ultra-liberalism

• one of the approach is thru the maqasid alshaariah - Imam Shaffie- alghazali, AlShatibi, shah waliyullah al-DIhlawi , rashid reda, mahmus shaltutu. Mustaffa Assiba'i, Muhammad AlGhazali, Sayyid Sabiq, Yusuf AlQardawi

considers the wisdom behind the law

ALGhazali (maslahah ... aldaruriyat, alhajiyyat, altahsiniyat0

alSHATIBI ( aL-Usul Alkhamsah)

1) preservation of religion (hifz al din)
2) life (nafs)
3) progeny
4) alaql

5) property


ibn ashur .. adapted version ...
alqardawi -- for maqasid is more wellbeing for individuals, maqasid privelleges  for righteous individual-family-society- ummH-well being of humanity-- innovates few fiqh..fish alsunan, fiqh al-muwazanah, fiqh al-awlawiyat, fiqh al aqaliyah, fiqh azzakah


The challenges

a) The Zahiris

• literallist (Azzahiris)- neo literallist who interpret text rigidly and literally (harfiyyun) without giving attention  to the general objectives of those texts. although their piety, sincerity cant be denied, their stern literalism has deformed the true image of Islam and its shariah. their stand on issues of woman and family , culture, education , economics, administration, politics, international relations and relationship with nonmuslims is coloured with  rigid literalism and intolerance
• the obsession of literalist that only their own views are correct. views outside their group in unacceptable, refused to see the possibility that their opinions are wrong, refused to cooperated on matters that are agreed upon, excuse one another in matters that they differ

b) the liberalist

• Muslim intellectuals, professionals, academics ..in the name of upholding the general well being  of society  and the universal objectives  of Islam put aside the particular religious texts and based their views mainly on their liberal intellectual interpretation of Islamicteachings
• lack of sounnd knowledge of shariah, lack of understanding of Islamic laws and jurisprudence,  they have th audacity to pass judgemntd and make pronouncements based purely on their liberal and independent thinking
• flaw method of application the concept of maslahah
• on the pretext serving the genral objectives of the shariaah and public good, they would reject the categorical  and well established texts and challenge the necessity of fulfulling the fundamental religious obligation as traditionally understood and practised. 
• wrong interpretation of maqasid, change it to means.. switcth to one ownintepration .. no need to perform religious ritual so long as the so long as  one ca achieve spiritual purifications, absentism, rememberance of AlLah thru some other means

HOW TO OVERCOME IT?
1) distinguish btw fixed objectives  and the changing means ( maqasid  althabitah vs alwasa'il almutaghayyirah)
2) prayers have to correct objective and form wise as prescribed by the rpophet saw
3)  find ways to be close to AlLah SWT  based  to bring self close to AlLAh .. which is intergrated from the larger mainstream of spiritual tradition of Islam. it shouldnt be taken just as  a"Sufism" as  a practice  or exercise for spirituality that is not connected to true Islamic  teachings .

eg fixed objective  without fixed means : concept of syura