In the study of ijtihad, there is often confusion over the implementation of maslahah (human welfare) by Islamic law observers when they face new social problems. It is too easy to set a law based on maslahah regardless of what maslahah actually is. The present paper reviews the concept of maslahah and sheds light on differences and similarities of the way in which it is conceptualised in the related literature. The literature included the Quran, Hadith, usul fiqh, al- Ihkam fi usul al-ahkam as well as a number of important related sources. Qualitative methods were used to analyse the literature and synthesise the concepts based on the objectives of the present research and the authors’ interpretations.