A Survey measuring Hifzun Nafs in Maqasid e Shariah

Abstract

This paper is highlighting the development of measure of Hifzun Nafs through survey technique. It measures the extent of poverty of poor people under the dimension of Hifzun Nafs, (Safeguard of Life) as basic need of living, a fundamental objective of Maqasid e Shariah. It uses a questionnaire for this purpose to survey local poor communities in Peshawar. It measures the deprivations in minimum living conditions as deprivation of Hifzun Nafs by assigning relative numbers or scores to their living standards at the poverty line threshold of $1.25 (2015 figures of UNDP) and below them starting from zero and going as far as minus five, constructing a Sharia based reporting measure of Hifzun Nafs of poor people through survey. This paper is unique in focusing on the survey based measurement of poor's living conditions as reflection of Hifzun Nafs in contributing to development of Maqasid e Shariah living standards Index in future as it is not yet developed and work on it is in process in various studies. The results of the study are useful for a first hand data collection and analysis of local population according to Hifzun Nafs of Maqasid e Shariah for contributing to construction of Maqasid e Sharia Index and for effective policy implications for governments as well as all stakeholders.