HUJJATUL ISLAM DAN TEORI KEMASLAHATAN: JEJAK PEMIKIRAN IMAM AL-GHAZALI TENTANG MASLAHAT

Abstract

This study aims to describe the biography of Imam Al-Ghazali and analyze his views on the concept of maslahah (public interest) in Islamic law. As a philosopher, Sufi, and jurist, Al-Ghazali made significant contributions to Islamic legal methodology, particularly in the theory of maslahah. This research is a library research employing conceptual and historical approaches. Primary data were obtained from Al-Ghazali's original works, while secondary data were sourced from ushul fiqh literature and related studies. The findings reveal that, according to Al-Ghazali, maslahah is defined as the effort to preserve the objectives of shari'ah, which encompass five fundamental principles (religion, life, intellect, lineage, and property), each positioned at the levels of daruriyyat, hajiyyat, and tahsiniyyat. Al-Ghazali accepted maslahah mursalah as a legal basis only under strict conditions: it must be daruriyyah, qath'iyyah, and kulliyyah. This cautious approach reflects Al-Ghazali's endeavour to uphold the authority of textual evidence (nash) and to avoid human reason's subjectivity in legal determination.