This book comprises the collection of papers and studies presented at the conference on “Purposes and Reasoning in the Islamic Law”, organised in Cairo, in October 2007, by the Centre for the Study of the Philosophy of Islamic Law (a branch of Al-Furqān Foundation). Papers fell under two categories: 1. The methodology of interpretation of the Sharīʿah higher objectives. This consisted of several titles such as: “Purposes/maqāṣid of the Islamic Law in light of the Bibliography”; “Reasoning about applied Islamic Law: understanding the fundamentals as well as the debate over the Qurʾānic purpose versus juridical purpose”. 2. Examples of interpretation of the Sharīʿah higher objectives amongst scholars of the salaf (first three generations) and khalaf (post third generation). This included several titles such as: “Purposes/maqāṣid is the Qiblah of jurists: Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī as an example”; “Purposes and reasoning according to al-Tirmidhī al-Hakīm”; and “Universal purposes/ maqāṣid according to Shaykh Mahdī Shams al-Dīn”.