Ghazali's Methodology of Deduction from Textual Pronouncements

The efforts of Muslim jurisprudents have been continuously aiming at (a) identifying the sources and objectives of the sharīʿah (Islamic Law), (b) clarifying the authority of each of them, and (c) establishing the methods of deducing legal rulings concerning human acts on both individual and collective levels. They have organized a system for inferring sharīʿah rulings from their sources and founded principles and methods for handling sharīʿah texts, notwithstanding that both their indications and manner of authenticity have variable degrees regarding qaṭʿ (decisiveness) and ẓann (presumption). They, moreover, delineated the necessary conditions for the legal practice of ijtihad (deducing sharīʿah rulings), which is an intellectual effort. This book aims primarily to explore and uncover the horizons and techniques of the juristic methodology in comprehending and interpreting sharīʿah texts, particularly from the perspective of Imam al-Ghazali in his illustrious book "Al-Mustaṣfa min ʿIlm al-Uṣūl," a prime example of jurisprudential theory in its golden age which remains a classic even in the face of twisted interpretations of sharīʿah texts and intents in more recent times.