Beyond Textualism: Ijtihād, Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah, and the Reconstruction of Contemporary Fiqh in Muhammadiyah

Abstract

This article examines how Muhammadiyah integrates ijtihād and maqāṣid al-sharī’ah in the construction of contemporary fiqh. Rather than treating the subject as a literature review, the study employs qualitative doctrinal-conceptual documentary analysis. Its primary corpus consists of the institutional Manhaj Tarjīh, the 2010 fatwa on smoking, guidance on qurban during disaster, Fikih Air, and Fikih Kebencanaan. These documents are read comparatively through a coding framework that traces sources of authority, modes of reasoning, factual evidence, normative objectives, levels of norms, and institutional consequences. The analysis finds that ijtihād is positioned not as an independent source of law but as a disciplined method for interpreting revelation under conditions of uncertainty and social change. Maqāsid functions as an orienting grammar that connects basic values, general principles, and concrete rulings; it does not authorize unrestricted consequentialism or the displacement of textual sources. Integration occurs through three interacting movements: bayani interpretation of texts, ta‘līli or burhani analysis of causes and empirical realities, and istislahi evaluation of welfare and harm. Collective ijtihād further enables jurists to incorporate scientific and professional expertise into legal deliberation. Applied fiqh products show a shift from isolated halal-haram judgments toward multi-level frameworks that combine theology, ethics, law, risk management, and institutional action. The article conceptualizes this pattern as maqāsid-guided institutional ijtihad. Its strength lies in connecting scriptural fidelity with public responsibility, while its unresolved challenges concern the transparent weighting of objectives, representation of affected communities, and empirical evaluation of implemented rulings.