Resonating Maqāṣid al-Sharī’ah with Generation Alpha: A Critical Inquiry into Contemporary and Emerging Realities

Abstract

This paper explores the relevance of Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah as a guiding framework for engaging Generation Alpha within contemporary Islamic education and value formation. Generation Alpha is growing up in a digital environment shaped by rapid technological change, fragmented sources of authority, and shifting moral reference points, which poses challenges for traditional, rule-based approaches to Islamic teaching. The study argues that a maqāṣid-oriented approach, grounded in the higher objectives of preserving faith, life, intellect, dignity, and social order, offers a more purpose-driven and context-sensitive conceptual framework for responding to these challenges. Drawing on classical maqāṣid theory and modern scholarly developments, the paper situates maqāṣid as a link between normative Islamic principles and the lived realities of younger generations. It examines how maqāṣid can be translated from juristic discourse into practical educational, institutional, and social contexts, emphasising meaning, ethical coherence, and relevance rather than formal compliance alone. At the same time, the study acknowledges methodological concerns and cautions against the uncritical or selective use of maqāṣid that are detached from their textual and legal foundations. By drawing on insights from Islamic legal theory and contemporary discussions of digital culture and education, the paper suggests that a maqāṣid-based approach can contribute to more coherent and meaningful Islamic engagement among Generation Alpha while remaining firmly rooted in the objectives of Sharīʿah.