Epistemological Integration Essentials of an Islamic Methodology

Economics is a social science that studies the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and analyses how economies work at the macro- and micro-levels. It studies production, distribution and consumption of goods and services, identifies economic problems and phenomena, and addresses economic questions from a positive perspective (what is) as well as a normative (how it should be) perspective. Islamic economics examines the same areas as its conventional counterpart. However, it involves the application of Sharīʿah to the different economic functions and issues. It is postulated that Islam offers a better approach compared to conventional economics in managing economic activities and solving economic and social issues.

This valuable work presents Ibn Taimiyah’s thoughts on the concept of Islamic economics, the state in the economy, on public finance, money, interest, prices, partnership, and profit-sharing, and offers a comparison of his ideas with those of some medieval scholars in Europe, along with a study of his influence on Islamic thinkers in later periods.

This work charts new territory in Islamic scholarship by attempting to address the field of public policy from a maqasid (higher objectives of the Shariah) perspective. Public Policy is an independent discipline from both law and politics. Thus, Public Policy in Islam is introduced here as a qualitatively different enterprise from both fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and siyasah shar’iyyah (Shariah-oriented politics). The book deals with a number of critical topics that include methodology, governance, human rights, ethics, political power, and reform and renewal. It highlights how the maqasid approach is indispensable to the theory and practice of public policy in Islam, how it could resolve some of the most persistent governance dilemmas throughout Muslim history, but more significantly, how it forces a re-conceptualization of the wealth of knowledge available in Islam s primary sources to introduce Public Policy in Islam to mainstream policy studies.