Islamic Statehood and Maqasid al-Shariah in Malaysia: A Zero-Sum Game? (Islam in Southeast Asia: Views from Within)

Debates on the establishment of an Islamic state in Malaysia generally occur across partisan divides, promoting a reductionist version of Islam as a force to punish and police Muslims' day-to-day behavior. The process takes place without regard for the essential concept of Islamic jurisprudence, maqasid al-Shariah, which can be literally translated as "the objectives of Islamic law." Islamic jurisprudence, the author explains, is dynamic, subject to constant interpretation that allows the issue of Islamic statehood to be debated along ethical, political, and even circumstantial lines.