WAQF FOREST AS AN IMPLEMENTATION OF HIFẒ AL-BĪ’AH IN THE FRAMEWORK OF MAQĀṢID AL-SHARĪ‘AH

Abstract

This article examines the concept of waqf forest as a contemporary implementation of hifẓ al-bī’ah (environmental preservation) within the framework of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. The study responds to the growing ecological crisis and to the limited scholarship integrating thematic Qur’anic interpretation, Islamic environmental jurisprudence, and waqf-based conservation initiatives. While previous studies have discussed hifẓ al-bī’ah either as an extension of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah or as a supporting principle of the five essential objectives, few have connected this concept to concrete institutional practices in contemporary Muslim societies. This research aims to reconstruct the Qur’anic foundations of environmental ethics, analyze the position of hifẓ al-bī’ah in the thought of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and interpret the Waqf Forest Program of Muhammadiyah as a practical model of ecological jurisprudence. Using qualitative library research, the study employs thematic Qur’anic interpretation (tafsīr mawḍū‘ī) and a maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah approach. The analysis demonstrates that environmental preservation constitutes a necessary condition for safeguarding religion, life, intellect, progeny, and wealth. In alQaradawi’s framework, hifẓ al-bī’ah functions as a strategic means that sustains the realization of these essential objectives. The study further finds that waqf forest operationalizes Islamic principles of stewardship, intergenerational justice, and sustainable resource management. This article contributes to contemporary Qur’anic studies by proposing waqf forest as an applied model of Qur’anic ecological ethics and Islamic environmental jurisprudence. 

Keywords: Hifẓ al-Bī’ah; Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah; Waqf Forest; Thematic Qur’anic Interpretation; Muhammadiyah