Islamic Index

IRTI has asked for development of an Islamic Index for Human Welfare and Development

Call for Papers

Developing a Framework for

Maqasid al-Shariah based Index of Socio-Economic Development

Seminar/Workshop, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 30 April 2014

Theoretical and policy oriented research in the area of comprehensive human and socio economic development is an important segment of work at Islamic Research and Training Institute, IDB.

The subject matter of Maqasid al-Shariah is broad and can be approached from various angles such as: its historical development, use in ijtihad, identification and classification of maqasid, approaches in identification of maqasid and the differences in those methods etc.

Maqasid al-Shariah can also be approached from its applications to various contemporary issues, for example, application of Maqasid al-Shariah in medical ethics, application in law etc.

MAIN ISSUES OF INTEREST

Our interest is in the application of:

1. Maqasid al-Shariah in socio-economic policy making;

2. Gauging the performance of socio-economic polices in the light of fulfilment of Maqasid al-Shariah;

3. Measurement of the socio-economic development in the light of Maqasid al-Shariah.

For this purpose, it would be useful first to develop a framework towards creation of a Socio-Economic Development Index based on Maqasid al-Shariah. This framework should tie the theory with observables. Should this index be a single dimensional or a multi-dimensional? Should it be conceived in positive terms indicating progress and development or created in reverse negative form as deprivation or lacking index? It should also inform how well can we measure what we intend to measure.

Another difficulty in creation of such index is availability of data on the desired variables across a wide range of countries. After all, the usefulness of index is in its measurement over time and across countries. The framework should also address this by surveying what data are available in public domain and for which data special surveys would be required.

CALL FOR PAPERS -- (is attached below)