Benefiting from the Other Between the Permissible and the Prohibited: A Maqasidic Perspective

Abstract

This study establishes an Islamic methodological framework for engaging with the civilizational and intellectual output of the “Other,” grounded in a maqāṣid-based perspective that balances openness to beneficial elements with the preservation of doctrinal and value-based constants. It demonstrates that the concept of the “Other” in Islam is broad, extending beyond religious difference to include everything outside the human self-even the animal world-thus opening wider horizons for intellectual benefit. The study affirms the legitimacy of benefiting from the Other as a foundational Islamic principle, drawing on the maxim: “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer; wherever he finds it, he is most entitled to it.”This is further supported by examples from the Prophetic biography, particularly in adopting useful means and technologies. It also establishes a governing methodological rule: “Truth is accepted from any source, and falsehood is rejected regardless of its source” ensuring justice and fairness in evaluating ideas. At the same time, the study sets out legal and ethical safeguards to prevent assimilation and loss of identity, foremost among them: adherence to Sharīʿah and core doctrinal tenets, deep grounding in Islamic knowledge, the ability to assess benefits and harms, and familiarity with the languages and sciences of the Other. The study concludes that this maqāṣid-based vision promotes the advancement of the Muslim community by avoiding both total rejection of the Other and uncritical openness, recommending the development of a well-founded educational methodology for appropriation.