Exploring Unnatural Death Incidents among Muslims in the West-Metropole of Cape Town: A Maqāṣid Al-Sharīʿah-Based Retrospective Study

Abstract

This study explores patterns of unnatural fatalities among Muslims in the West Metropole of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2019. Analysis of 4,205 autopsy reports, focusing on 313 Muslim deaths of which 241 were classified as unnatural, provides insight into an under-researched field. Using a qualitative maqāṣid al-sharīʿah (objectives of Islamic law) framework, the study examines gender distribution, age profiles, manners of death, and selected self-inflicted deaths. Key findings highlight distinctive demographic and circumstantial trends, with no significant difference between males and females in mechanisms of self-harm. The analysis integrates basic descriptive statistics with contextual interpretation of medico-legal case records and community realities. The prevalence of unnatural deaths underscores the need for further research to identify long-term patterns and underlying causes. The study also stresses the importance of documenting religious affiliation in medico-legal records and recommends adopting a maqāṣid al-sharīʿah perspective when formulating future community-based and policy responses to unnatural deaths within the Muslim population.