ABSTRACT
This essay is presented in five sections beginning with a general characterisation of the maqä~id al-Sharf'ah and its origins in the Qur'än. The next section addresses the classification of the maqä~id and a certain order of priority that is integrated into the structure of the maq~id. Section three is devoted to historical developments and the contributions of some of the leading 'ulamä ', especially that of Abii Is~äq lbrählm al-
Shä~ibl, to the theory of the maqäsid. Section four looks into the differential approaches the 'ulamä' have taken toward the identification of the maqä~id. The last section highlights the relevance of the maqä~id to ijtihäd and the ways in which the maqä~id can enhance the scope and calibre of ijtihäd.
