A Practical Approach to Maslahah Based Decision Making Framework

Abstract

Decision making is a crucial stage in management of project and policy process where various alternatives are identified based on particular values and preferences of the decision maker. Eventually, it bridges the planning and implementation of firms’ projects and policies together. Western expertise have developed various types of decision making tools such as Cost-Benefit analysis. As Economics theory suggests, the ultimate objective of firm is to maximize profit or minimize cost which also influences the decision making process. While in Islamic theory, it embraces a multi-dimensional approach. Accordingly in Brunei, there is a dire need for a holistic Islamic approach in its administration and management which also includes decision making process. In this sense, Maqasid Shariah is the currently best available benchmark to develop an Islamic decision making framework. The concept of Maqasid Shariah has been developed by the past scholars such as Al-Juwaini, Al-Ghazali and the most prominent scholars in the field, Asy-Syatibi. However, the discussions were focusing on the religious aspect particularly in usul fiqh and fiqh aspects. So in the recent years, few studies had developed and applied the framework of Maqasid Shariah such as Moussa Larbani & Mustafa Omar Mohammed (n.a.), Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki & Nurdianawati Irwani Abdullah (n.a.), Zulkifli Hasan & Mehmet Asutay (n.a.) and Shaikh Mohd Saifuddeen, Noor Naemah Abdul Rahman, Noor Munirah Isa & Azizan Baharuddin (2013). These studies have developed Maqasid Shariah as a framework in specific field which needs a certain level of expertise. Nevertheless, problem may arise for those who are lacking of the required expertise to apply the framework in their respective field. Thus, this paper is extending the established idea to develop a simpler, yet widely applicable Maqasid Shariah based framework which is feasible for the decision makers who are not expertise in the field of Shariah.