Aligning Sustainable Development Goals with Maqasid Al-Shariah Principles toward Poverty Alleviation Challenges in Malaysia

Abstract

In Malaysia, poverty alleviation has largely been approached through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focus on economic growth, institutional efficiency, and social inclusion. While these measures have delivered important progress, they are grounded in a secular paradigm that overlooks ethical, spiritual, and moral aspects of human welfare. From an Islamic perspective, these dimensions are integral to well-being, and their absence creates a conceptual gap in the way poverty is addressed. This study aims to bridge that gap by exploring the epistemological alignment between Maqasid al-Shariah and the SDGs. It seeks to examine their foundational principles, identify points of convergence and divergence, and propose a framework for reframing poverty alleviation in Malaysia.
The research employs a qualitative design that combines library-based analysis with expert engagement. Classical texts on Maqasid al-Shariah, are examined alongside contemporary SDG literature. To enrich this analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with scholars of Maqasid and practitioners involved in SDG implementation, providing both theoretical and applied perspectives. The study finds strong complementarities between Maqasid objectives, such as the preservation of life, intellect, wealth, and lineage, and SDG targets on poverty reduction, education, and equity. Yet, it also highlights the SDGs’ lack of spiritual and transcendental dimensions central to the Maqasid worldview. By developing a conceptual framework that treats poverty as a multidimensional issue requiring both material and spiritual responses, the study contributes to the theoretical foundations of integrating Islamic epistemology with global development paradigms and sets the stage for more holistic poverty alleviation strategies.