Sharīʿah Legal Stratagems in the Balance of the Objectives of Islamic Law: A Comparative Study of Imamī and Sunni Jurisprudence
Keywords:
Religious legal stratagems (ḥiyal), Imami jurisprudence, Sunni jurisprudence, objectives of the Sharia (maqāṣid al, sharīʿa), rational arguments, comparative jurisprudence, jurisprudential stratagemsAbstract
Sharīʿah legal stratagems (ḥiyal sharʿiyya) refer to mechanisms that outwardly conform to the rules of Islamic law or established legal principles but may, in practice, result in the violation of the Lawgiver’s objectives and the circumvention of the underlying spirit of legal rulings. The question of the permissibility or invalidity of such stratagems constitutes one of the controversial issues in Islamic jurisprudence, regarding which divergent views have emerged both among different Islamic schools of law and within individual schools. Proponents have justified the legitimacy of certain legal stratagems by invoking principles such as the presumption of validity (aṣālat al-ṣiḥḥa), the negation of undue hardship (nafy al-ʿusr wa al-ḥaraj), and the facilitative functions of the Sharīʿah; opponents, by contrast, relying on rational arguments such as the reprehensibility of frustrating the Lawgiver’s purpose, deception of the Lawgiver, and the principle of blocking the means (sadd al-dharāʾiʿ), have regarded such stratagems as incompatible with the objectives of the Sharīʿah (maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah). Using a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative approach, this study examines the positions of Imamī jurisprudence and the Sunni schools of law concerning Sharīʿah legal stratagems. The findings indicate that both traditions concur in rejecting stratagems that lead to the frustration of the objectives of the Sharīʿah and undermine the normative system of Islamic legal rulings; nevertheless, substantial differences exist regarding the acceptance of certain specific forms of legal stratagems and the permissible limits of their application. The overall findings demonstrate that Sharīʿah legal stratagems may be regarded as legitimate only when they are employed within the framework of authoritative textual sources and do not conflict with the overarching objectives of the Sharīʿah; otherwise, they become instruments for circumventing and rendering divine rulings ineffective. This study may contribute to clarifying the theoretical foundations of comparative Islamic jurisprudence and provide a useful analytical framework for addressing emerging legal and social issues.
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