Maslaha
مَصْلَحَة
Pronunciation: MAS-la-ha
Public benefit or general welfare — a foundational principle scholars use to derive rulings when texts don't directly apply.
Definition
Literally "benefit" or "common good." One of the secondary sources of Islamic law, used to derive rulings when there is no explicit Quranic verse or hadith governing a contemporary issue. The principle is most associated with the Maliki school and Imam al-Ghazali.
It rests on the framework of maqasid al-shariah — the higher objectives of Islamic law (preservation of religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth). Maslaha is the principle scholars invoke when permitting practices such as autopsies (when required by law or for medical education), organ donation, and other modern issues with no direct textual ruling.
Research referencing Maslaha
Human-reviewed research briefs in the HalalWallet library that discuss Maslaha.
Fiqh Council of North America 2019 fatwa permitting organ donation for Muslim Americans
In March 2019, the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) issued a fatwa permitting and encouraging Muslim Americans to register as organ donors. The reasoning rests on rahmah (mercy), maslaha (public benefit), and the Quranic principle that saving one life is as if one has saved all of humanity (5:32).
Fiqh Council of North America · 2019-03-01
Al-Azhar 1982 fatwa on autopsies under Islamic law
The 1982 Al-Azhar fatwa, building on earlier guidance from Sheikh Muhammad Hasanayn Makhluf (Egypt, 1950s), permitted autopsies under specific conditions: when required by law, when medical students would learn from them, or when needed to control a contagious disease. The reasoning rests on maslaha (public benefit).
Al-Azhar University (Cairo) · 1982-01-01
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Maslaha (مَصْلَحَة) — Public benefit or general welfare — a foundational principle scholars use to derive rulings when texts don't directly apply. Literally "benefit" or "common good." One of the secondary sources of Islamic law, used to derive rulings when there is no explicit Quranic verse or hadith governing a contemporary issue. The principle is most associated with the Maliki school and Imam al-Ghazali.
- Public benefit or general welfare — a foundational principle scholars use to derive rulings when texts don't directly apply.
- Category: General
- Related: Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat
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Last reviewed: 2026-07-01
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