al-Tufi

Najm al-Din al-Tufi (657–716 AH / 1259–1316 CE) was a Hanbali jurist who is best known in Islamic legal theory for his controversial treatise arguing that maslaha (public interest or welfare) can override texts (Quran and hadith) in non-devotional matters. This view was rejected by the majority of Islamic legal scholars as it could potentially undermine the primacy of revealed text. However, al-Tufi's detailed analysis of the issue has made his treatise an important text in discussions of Islamic legal theory. He also wrote works on usul al-fiqh and logic.