Maqasid of Shariah-Objectives of Shariah

The Objectives (Maqasid) of Shariah can be divided into two parts:

A. Primary Objectives:

The primary objectives of Shariah tend to realize the protection and preservation of:

i) Religion: achieving the purpose of worship of Allah.
ii) Life: The protection and preservation of human life refers to the sanctity of life as emphasized in the Quran and Sunnah.
iii) Progeny-family unit: The protection of progeny or the family unit relates to marriage and the family institution, whose purposes are: procreation, protection against lack of chastity and the proper upbringing of children, enabling them to become good human beings and Muslims and to bring peace and tranquility to society.
iv) Property: The sanctity of the wealth of all members of society, with an emphasis on valid (Halal) earning and discouragement of a concentration of wealth leading to a vast gap between the poor and the rich and the inability of the former to meet their basic nees of food, health and fundamental education.
v) Intellect: Refers to acquiring knowledge, thus enabling people to differentiate between good and bad and to play their part in enhancing the welfare of human society as a whole.
vi) Honour: The protection of human honour and dignity refers to the prohibition of false accusations, the right to privacy and the sanctity of private life.

B. Secondary Objectives:

The above primary objectives of Shariah lead to a number of secondary objectives:

i) The establishment of justice and equity in society.
ii) The promotion of social security, mutual help and solidarity, particularly to help the poor and the needy in meeting their basic needs.
iii) The maintenance of peace and security.
iv) The promotion of cooperation in matters of goodness and prohibition of evil deeds and actions.
v) The promotion of supreme universal moral values and all actions necessary for the preservation and authority of nature.

source: Understanding Islamic Finance By Muhammad Ayub