Abstract
Rapid developments in science and technology have resulted in novel discoveries, leading to new questions particularly related to human values and ethics. Every discovery and technology has positive and negative implications and affects human lives either directly or indirectly, involving all walks of life. Bioethical discourse in Malaysia must consider the multiracial and multireligious background of Malaysia and especially the Islamic view as the majority of Malaysians are Muslims and Islam is the religion of the federation. This article discusses several selected bioethical issues in Malaysia by studying the application of maṣlaḥah (the public good) and mafsadah (evil and harms) in Malaysian Islamic rulings (fatwas). This article uses the critical interpretation approach, as this is an ethical, interpretive, textual, and contextual analysis. In a situation when there is a conflict between maṣlaḥah and avoidance of mafsadah, it is preferred to attempt to address both needs. However, if maṣlaḥah and avoidance of mafsadah are mutually exclusive, the decision to choose must be made by weighing (tarjīḥ) and choosing the one which is superior. The maṣlaḥah and mafsadah concepts play vital and significant roles in bioethical discourse to realize human essential interests, namely faith, life, lineage, intellect, and property, thus achieving maqāṣid al-sharīʿah (the ultimate goal of sharia). This concept helps in guiding bioethical discussions, especially in determining the priority between achieving benefits and avoiding harms. The application of this concept will also assist Malaysian authorities in formulating appropriate rulings, especially bioethical issues related to Malaysian Muslims’ lives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
‘Uthman, ‘Alī bin ‘Abbās. 1993. Ḥaqiqah al-Khilāf fī al-Ta’līl bi al-Ḥikmah wa Atharuhu fī al-Fiqh al-Islāmī [Disagreement in reasoning through wisdom and its impact on Islamic jurisprudence]. Majallah Jāmi’ah Umm al-Qurā 7(9).
Abdullah, A.B. 2014. An analysis of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) as applied Islamic ethics. Islam and Civilisational Renewal 5(2): 183–203.
Abdul Aziz, M.A., A.A. Rahman, and I.M. Subri. 2018. Metodologi Fatwa: Kajian di Negeri Kedah [Fatwa methodology: A study in the State of Kedah]. Presented paper in the Persidangan Antarabangsa Tamadun, Etnik dan Turath Islami (i-STET 2018): 226–232. Nilai: Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
Adi Setia. 2015. Freeing maqāṣid & maṣlaḥah from surreptitious utilitarianism. Presented paper in International Conference on the Applications of Maqasid Al-Shari‘ah (Objectives Of The Shari‘ah) in Governance and Public Policy, Kuala Lumpur.
Ahmad, R. 2008. Permasalahan Ta’līl Ahkam Sebagai Asas Penerimaan Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah Menurut Ulama Usul [The problem of Ta’līl Ahkam as the basis of acceptance of Maqāṣid al-Sharī'ah according to Usul scholars]. Jurnal Fiqh 5.
___. 2016. Salah Faham Terhadap Standard Maslahah dan Mafsadah Dalam Menangani Isu-isu Semasa di Malaysia [Misunderstanding of benefit and harm standards in dealing with current issues in Malaysia]. In Maqasid al-Shari'ah: Konsep dan Pendekatan, edited by N.N.A. Rahman, A.K. Ali, and R. Ahmad, 15–46. Kuala Lumpur: Jabatan Fiqh dn Usul Akademi Pengajian Islam Universiti Malaya.
___. 2004. Standard maslahah dan mafsadah dalam penentuan hukum Islam semasa di Malaysia [Standard of benefit and harm in the determination of current Islamic law in Malaysia]. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
al-Bukhari, M.I. 1993. Sahih al-Bukhari. Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir.
al-Buti, M.S.R. 1973. Dawabit al-maslahah fi al-Shari’ah al-Islamiyyah [Interest restrictions in Islamic law]. Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah.
al-Ghazzali, A.H.M. n.d. Al-Mustaṣfā min al-ʿIlm al-Uṣūl [On legal theory of Muslim jurisprudence]. Edited by H.Z. Hafiz. Vol. 2. Madinah: Syarkah al-Madinah al-Munawwara li al-Tiba’ah.
al-Husni, I. 2013. Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah wa As’ilah al-Fikr al-Maqāṣidī [Objectives of Sharia and questions of Maqasid thought]. Rabat: Markaz al-Dirāsāt wa al-Abhāth wa Ihyā’ al-Turāth.
al-Jundī, S.‘A.a-W. 2013. Ahammiyyah al-Maqāṣid fī al-Sharī’ah al-Islāmiyyah [The importance of objectives in Islamic law]. Beirut: Muassasah al-Risālah.
al-Juwayni, A.a-M.A. 1997. al-Burhan fi Usul al-Fiqh [The evidence of Islamic jurisprudence]. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.
al-Khadimiy, Nuruddin Mukhtar. 2001. 'Ilm al-maqasid al-shar'iyyah [The knowledge of objectives of Shariah]. Riyadh: Maktabah al-Obeikan.
al-Nahari, A.A. 2016. al-Maqāṣid al-Shar’iyyah bayn al-Ifrāṭ wa al-Tafrīṭ: Dirāsah fī Ḍawābiṭ [Objectives of Shariah between excessiveness and negligence: Study of restrictions]. In Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah: Konsep dan Pendekatan [Objectives of Shariah: Concept and approach], edited by N.N.A. Rahman, A.K. Ali, and R. Ahmad. Kuala Lumpur: Jabatan Fiqh dan Usul Akademi Pengajian Islam Universiti Malaya.
al-Qaradhawi, Y. 2008. Dirāsah fī Fiqh Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah Bayn al-Maqāṣid al-Kulliyyāt wa al-Nuṣūṣ al-Juz’iyyāt [Study on jurisprudence of objectives of Shariah between general objectives and specific texts], 3rd edition. Kaherah: Dar al-Shuruq.
___. 1996. Fī Fiqh al-Awlawiyyāt: Dirāsāt Jadīdah fī Daw’ al-Qur’ān wa al-sunnah [On the jurisprudence of priorities: A new study in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah]. Kaherah: Maktabah Wahbah.
al-Qaradhawi, Y. 2014. Fiqh keutamaan: Keutamaan seorang Muslim [The jurisprudence of priorities: A priority of a Muslim]. Translated by Ahmad Muzakkir Ahlami and Lasafarudi Lahadi. Kuala Lumpur: PTS Islamika.
___. 2014. al-Tajdīd al-Uṣūlī: Naḥwā Siyāghah Tajdīdiyyah lī ‘Ilm Uṣūl al-Fiqh [Fundamental renewal: Towards a renewed formulation of the science of jurisprudence]. Herndon: al-Ma’had al-‘Ālamī li Fikr al-Islāmī.
___. 2010. Madkhal Ilā Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah [Introduction to objectives of Shariah]. Kaherah: Dar al-Kalimah.
___. 2018. Prinsip dan Kaedah Universal dalam Shari'ah [The universal principle and method of Shariah]. Translated by M.B.A. Hamid. Kuala Lumpur: Maqasid Institute Malaysia.
al-Salam, 'Izz al-Din Abd al-'Aziz ibn Abd. 2000. al-Qawa'id al-Kubra al-Mausum bi Qawa'id al-Ahkam fi Masalih al-An'am [Major rulings of rules of rulings in human interests]. Damsyik: Dar al-Qalam.
___. 1991. Qawā’id al-Aḥkām fī Maṣāliḥ al-Anām [Rules of rulings in human interests]. Kaherah: Maktabah al-Kulliyah al-Azhariyyah.
al-Shatibi, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Musa ibn Muhammad al-Lakmi. 1997. al-Muwafaqat. Kaherah: Dar Ibn Affan.
Al-Shirazi. 1995. al-Luma’ fī Uṣūl al-Fiqh [The light of fundamental jurisprudence]. Beirut: Dar al-Kalam al-Tayyib.
al-Yubi, Muḥammad Sa’id Aḥmad. 2010. Ḍawābiṭ ‘Imāl Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah fī al-Ijtihād [Restrictions of objectives of Shariah in Ijtihad]. Majallah al-Uṣūl wa al-Nawāzil 4: 18–70.
al-Zuhaili, W. 1986. Usul al-fiqh al-Islamiyy [Fundamental of Islamic jurisprudence]. Damsyik: Dar al-Fikr.
de Araújo, J.S.S., C.T. Regis, R.G.S. Gomes, et al. 2016. Microcephaly in north-east Brazil: A retrospective study on neonates born between 2012 and 2015. Bulletin World Health Organization 94(11): 835–840.
Arif, S. 2012. Konsep halalan tayyiban dari perspektif maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah dan aplikasinya dalam prosedur penentuan makanan halal di Malaysia [Concept of halalan tayyiban from the perspective of Shariah objectives and its application in the deterimining halal food procedure in Malaysia]. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Aris, S.M., B. Alias, S.A. Samat, and F.A. Ismail. 2015. Islamisasi di Alam Melayu: Kesan dan pengaruh dalam aspek pendidikan [Islamisation in the Malay Word: Effect and influence in education]. In ICOMHAC2015 Eproceedings, Langkawi, 2015, 467-480. Langkawi: UiTM Cawangan Kedah-INSPIN
Ashur, M. al-T. 2001. Maqasid al-Shari'ah al-Islamiyyah [Objectives of Islamic law]. Amman: Dar al-Nafaes.
Asni, M.F.A.H.M., and J. Sulong. 2017. Penyelarasan Fatwa Antara Negeri-Negeri: Analisis Amalan dan Kaedah Penyeragamannya di Malaysia [Coordination of Fatwas between states: Analysis on practices and methods of its standardization in Malaysia]. Jurnal Pengurusan dan Penyelidikan Fatwa 9(1): 86–109.
Auda, J. 2010. Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah as philosophy of Islamic law: A systems approach. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust & The International Institute of Islamic Thought.
___. 2006. Fiqh al-Maqāṣid: Ināṭah al-Aḥkām al-Shar’iyyah bi Maqāṣidihā [The jurisprudence of objectives: Assigning legal rulings to their objectives]. Herndon: al-Ma’had al-‘Ālamī li Fikr al-Islāmī.
Daolio, J., S. Palomba, S. Paganelli, A. Falbo, and L. Aguzzoli. 2020. Uterine transplantation and IVF for congenital or acquired uterine factor infertility: A systematic review of safety and efficacy outcomes in the first 52 recipients. PLOS ONE 15(4): e0232323.
Daud, M., and A.N. Abdullah. 2019. Penginstitusian Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan dan Kaifiat Pengeluaran Hukum: Suatu Tinjauan Umum [The institutionalization of the National Fatwa Council and the promulgation of law: A general overview]. Al-Basirah 9(2): 37–51.
Ebrahim, A.F.M. 1988. Biomedical issues: Islamic perspective. Kuala Lumpur: A.S. Noordeen.
Ghaly, M. 2013. Islamic bioethics in the twenty-first century. Zygon 48(3): 592–599.
Ghazali, S. 2012. Proses Penyediaan Fatwa di Malaysia: Peraturan dan Amalan [Fatwa preparation process in Malaysia: Rules and practices]. In Muzakarah Pakar: Garis Panduan dan Piawaian Pengeluaran Fatwa Peringkat Kebangsaan [Expert forum: Guidelines and standards for the issuance of Fatwas at the national level], 1–15. Nilai: Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
Harun, M.S., L.A., S.M. Jeffri, S. Jaafar, and M.F.M. Ariffin. 2020. Analisis Larangan Aktiviti Keagamaan di Masjid dalam Peruntukan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) Berdasarkan Parameter Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah [Analysis of the prohibition of religious activities in mosques in the provisions of the movement control order (MCO) based on Maqāṣid al-Sharī'ah parameters]. Jurnal Fiqh 17(2): 231–264.
Hashi, A.A. 2015. Bioethics: A comparative study of its concept, issues and approaches. Kuala Lumpur: IIUM Press.
Ibrahim, A.H., N.N.A. Rahman, and S.M. Saifuddeen. 2018. Maqasid al-Shariah as a complementary framework for conventional bioethics: Application in Malaysian assisted reproductive technology (ART) fatwa. Science and Engineering Ethics 24: 1493–1502.
Ibrahim, A.H., N.N.A. Rahman, S.M. Saifuddeen, and M. Baharuddin. 2019a. Maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics: A comprehensive approach. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 16(3): 333–345.
Ibrahim, A.H., N.N.A. Rahman, S.M. Saifuddeen, and M. Baharuddin. 2019b. Tri-parent baby technology and preservation of lineage: An analysis from the perspective of Maqasid al-Shari’ah based Islamic bioethics. Science and Engineering Ethics 25(1): 129–142.
Ishak, A. 1992. Islam Di Nusantara (Khususnya Di Tanah Melayu) [Islam in Nusantara (Especially in Malaya)]. In B.H.E. Islam (Ed.). Kuala Lumpur.
Iqbal, M., and R. Noble. 2009. Islamic identity and the ethics of assisted reproduction. In Faith and fertility, edited by E. Blyth and R. Landau, 86–110. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Isa, N.M. 2015. Darurah (necessity) and its application in Islamic ethical assessment of medical applications: A review on Malaysian Fatwa. Science and Engineering Ethics 22: 1–14.
___. 2013. Etika Dalam Bioteknologi Moden: Kajian ke Atas Respons Para Ilmuan Islam Terpilih Mengenai Garis Panduan Etika Islam [Ethics in modern biotechnology: A study on the responses of selected Islamic scholars regarding Islamic ethical guidelines]. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
Isa, N.M., A. Baharuddin, S. Man, and C.L. Wei. 2015. Bioethics in the Malay-Muslim community in Malaysia: A study on the formulation of fatwa on genetically modified food by the National Fatwa Council. Developing World Bioethics 15(3): 143–151.
Islamic Fiqh Academy (Jeddah). 2000. Resolutions and recommendations of the Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy 1985–2000. Jeddah: Islamic Development Bank.
Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia. n.d.a e-SMAF. http://e-smaf.islam.gov.my/e-smaf/index.php/main/mainv1/fatwa/3. Accessed July 2, 2021.
___. 2015a. Hukum Menggunakan Kaedah Khidmat Ibu Tumpang Untuk Mendapatkan Zuriat [The law of using the surrogate mother method to conceive offspring]. e-Fatwa, April 10. http://www.e-fatwa.gov.my/fatwa-kebangsaan/hukum-menggunakan-kaedah-khidmat-ibu-tumpang-untuk-mendapatkan-zuriat. Accessed April 13, 2015.
___. 2015b. Hukum Pendermaan Rahim [The law of womb donation]. e-Fatwa, April 13. http://www.e-fatwa.gov.my/fatwa-kebangsaan/hukum-pendermaan-rahim. Accessed April 13, 2015.
___. n.d.b Jawatankuasa Muzakarah Majlis Kebangsaan Bagi Hal Ehwal Ugama Islam Malaysia [Muzakarah committee of the National Council for Malaysian Islamic religious affairs]. http://e-smaf.islam.gov.my/e-smaf/fatwa/latar_belakang/penubuhan. Accessed July 2, 2021.
Jabatan Mufti Negeri Pahang. 2016. Keputusan Fatwa 2016. December 19. https://mufti.pahang.gov.my/index.php/keputusan-fatwa-2016/. Accessed July 2, 2021.
Jabatan Mufti Negeri Selangor. 2017. Hukum Pengguguran Kandungan Ibu Hamil Yang Dijangkiti Virus Zika [The law of abortion of pregnant mothers infected with the Zika Virus]. January 31. https://www.muftiselangor.gov.my/fatwa-personalisation/fatwa-tahunan/keputusan-fatwa-xwarta/2016/684-hukum-pengguguran-kandungan-ibu-hamil-yang-dijangkiti-virus-zika. Accessed July 2, 2021.
Kamali, M.H. 2006. An introduction to Shari'ah. Kuala Lumpur: Ilmiah Publishers.
Kamali, M.H. 2011. Maqasid al-Shari'ah and Ijtihad as instruments of civilisational renewal: A methodological perspective. Islam and Civilisational Renewal 2(2): 245–271.
Kayadibi, S. 2017. Principles of Islamic law: The methods of interpretation of the texts (Usul al-fiqh). Petaling Jaya: Islamic Book Trust.
bin Malek, M.M. 2021. People must respect, obey physical distancing rule. February 26. https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2021/02/669071/people-must-respect-obey-physical-distancing-rule. Accessed June 10, 2021.
Minister’s Office in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs). 2020. Al-Bayan Siri 7. Putrajaya: Minister’s Office in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs).
Mohammad, A. 2008. Sumbangan Tamadun Islam Dalam Kehidupan Masyarakat Di Alam Melayu Hingga Abad Ke-17 M [The contribution of Islamic civilization in community life in the Malay world until the 17th century]. Journal of Al-Tamaddun 3(1): 68–84.
Moosa, E., and A.A. Mian. 2012. Islam. In Encyclopedia of applied ethics, edited by R. Chadwick, 769–776. San Diego: Academic Press
Musa, H. 2004. Encountering the globalizing West. Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press & Center for Civilizational Dialogue.
Muslim World League Islamic Fiqh Council. 2006. Resolutions of Islamic Fiqh Council Makkah Mukarramah. Makkah Mukarramah: Muslim World League Islamic Fiqh Council. http://themwl.org/downloads/Resolutions-of-Islamic-Fiqh-Council-1.pdf. Accessed Mar 30, 2016.
Muslim, al-Hajjaj al-Qusyairi al-Naisaburi. 1991. Sahih Muslim. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah.
Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa. 2017. Garis Panduan Pengeluaran Fatwa di Malaysia [Guidelines for theiIssuance of Fatwas in Malaysia]. Putrajaya: Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia.
Nasohah, Z. 2005. Undang-undang penguatkuasaan fatwa di Malaysia. Islamiyyat : Jurnal Antarabangsa Pengajian Islam; International Journal of Islamic Studies, 27(1): 25–44.
Naqiuddin, W.A. 2020. Bayan Linnas Siri Ke-225 : Covid-19: Fatwa-Fatwa Terkini Berkaitan Penangguhan Solat Jumaat dan Solat Berjemaah [Covid-19: The latest Fatwas regarding postponement of Friday prayers and congregational prayers]. March 17. https://muftiwp.gov.my/artikel/bayan-linnas/4338-bayan-linnas-siri-ke-225-covid-19-fatwa-fatwa-terkini-berkaitan-penangguhan-solat-jumaat-dan-solat-berjemaah. Accessed July 2, 2021.
Nordin, M.M. 2015. Islamic medical ethics amidst developing biotechnologies. In Preservation of human progeny in the age of biotechnology, edited by S.M. Saifuddeen, 57–72. Kuala Lumpur: Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia.
Ouassou, H., L. Kharchoufa, M. Bouhrim, et al. 2020. The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Evaluation and prevention. Journal of Immunology Research e1357983.
Pejabat Mufti Negeri Sabah. 2017. Fatwa Hukum Pengguguran Kandungan Ibu Hamil Yang Dijangkiti Zika [Legal Fatwa on abortion of pregnant mothers infected with Zika]. February 23. https://mufti.sabah.gov.my/index.php/component/sppagebuilder/?view=page&id=40. Accessed July 2, 2021.
Quadri, S.A. 2020. COVID-19 and religious congregations: Implications for spread of novel pathogens. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 96: 219–221.
Rahman, F. 2015. Kesihatan dan perubatan dalam tradisi Islam: Perubahan dan identiti [Health and medicine in the Islamic tradition: Change and identity]. Translated by Wan Mohd Nor Daud and Shahrul Amar Abdullah. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Raquib, A. 2015. Islamic ethics of technology. Kuala Lumpur: The Other Press.
Sachedina, A.A. 2009. Islamic biomedical ethics: Principles and application. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shalabi, M.M 1981. Ta'lil al-Ahkam [Explanation of rulings]. Beirut: Dar al-Nahdah al-'Arabiyyah.
Shaltut, M. 2004. al-Fatawa [Verdicts]. Kaherah: Dar al-Syuruq.
Uthman, M.R. 2012. al-Jinum: Qadaya fiqhiyyah [Genome: Jurisprudential issues]. Kaherah: Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyyah.
Zaydan, A.K. 2001. al-Wajiz fi Sharh al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah fi al-Shari'ah al-Islamiyyah [Brief explanation on Islamic legal maxims in the Islamic law]. Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah.
___. 1976. al-Wajiz fi Usul al-Fiqh [Brief explanation on fundamentals of jurisprudence]. Muassasah Qurtubah.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing Interest
The author(s) declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ibrahim, A.H., Harun, M.S. Applying the Concepts of Benefit and Harm in Malaysian Bioethical Discourse: Analysis of Malaysian Fatwa. Bioethical Inquiry (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-024-10345-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-024-10345-z