With the Participation of the Islamic Jurisprudence Academies, Religious Institutions, and Senior Muslim Scholars …
- Al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars holds a Conference on “Renewal in Thought and Islamic Sciences” in the end of Next April
- Researches and Proposals are received by a Committee of Young Scholars in the General Assembly of Council of Senior Scholars and the Islamic Research Academy from December 15, 2018 to February 28, 2019
Under the presidency of His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Council of Senior Scholars in collaboration with the Islamic Research Academy organize an international conference on “Renewal in Thought and Islamic Sciences” in the end of next April, with a large number of Fiqhi Complexes, religious institutions, and a prominent group of senior scholars and jurists expected to take part, with the aim of drafting a comprehensive scientific strategy addressing the different dimensions and issues relevant to the topic of renewal in a manner that contributes to achieving the renaissance and progress of the Ummah, keeps thereby its identity and motivates its true values and powers.
The conference is expected to highlight a number of main points topped by the issues of renewal in different Islamic Sciences, the principles and mechanisms of renewal, dismantling of the Takfiri thought and its approaches, the role of the religious institutions in organizing and developing the Da‘wah discourse, the principles and requirements necessary for qualifying contemporary preachers, and the viewpoint of Islamic thought on human coexistence among religions, doctrines, and Schools of Law.
The general secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars is due to receive the papers and proposals on the conference for examination from December 15, 2018 to February 28, 2019, reporting them accordingly to the conference’s scientific committee, so that a larger number of contributions including Fiqhi and ideological approaches and viewpoints would be presented, which would certainly enrich the conference’s events and proceedings.
The conference is part of the events and initiatives recently launched by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to implant and disseminate the culture of renewal in thought and Islamic Sciences. In addition, it is the fruit of the preparatory symposium on renewal held by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in April 2015 under the supervision of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and attended by a prominent group of senior scholars, intellectuals and specialists. Noteworthy to mention that the symposium discussed topics like the relationship between Naqli (transmitted) and A‘qli (rational) subjects, Islamic Heritage Between Renewal and Critique, Religious Discourse Between Reality and Future Prospects, and Definition of Concepts and Their Role in Renewal of Religious Discourse.
The conference comes also as a result of the findings of the “Al-Azhar Documents” consecutively issued since 2011, with the intention of supporting the efforts of renewal. “Egypt’s Document” issued in June 2011 is a case in point as it clearly shows support for the modern, democratic, constitutional, national State, and the adoption of the democratic system, as well as adherence to the fundamental freedoms system in thought and opinion. The “Fundamental Freedoms System Document” issued in January 2012, on the other hand, focused on Shari, philosophical and constitutional theorization for the freedom of creed, free speech, freedom of scientific research, and freedom of literary and artistic creativity.
As for the historic document issued by Al-Azhar in March 2017 under the title of “Citizenship and Coexistence”, it stressed its flat rejection to the concept of minorities, and thus totally approved the concept of Citizenship since it is a pure Islamic term which implies equality between Muslims and Christians in rights and duties in light of the fact that they all constitute one Ummah, with Muslims have their own religion and Christians have their own religion. “Al-Quds Document” issued in November 2011 highlighted Al-Azhar’s historic position on supporting Palestine and its people in light of a new viewpoint of renewal gathered together the Shariah, national, historical, legal, and moral aspects in one reference document.
The conference furthermore aims to continue the efforts and initiatives launched by his Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, be they in the field of developing the education system in Al-Azhar and connecting it to the most recent techniques and educational curricula, or in the field of dealing with observing and countering extremist ideologies disseminated by extremist groups through Al-Azhar International Center for Observation and Online Fatwa, or through the Grand Imam’s international tours that highlighted the moderate values of Islam, rejection of accusing Islam and Muslims of terrorism, and his calls for Muslims living in non-Muslim countries to positively integrate in their communities, let alone his Eminence’s various initiatives to open channels for dialogue and cooperation with different religious institutions around the world.
Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’s Council of Muslim Senior Scholars is the top Sunni Islamic authority in the world; it is concerned with addressing the Shariah matters, the newly-emerged fiqhi issues on both the Islamic and international arenas. It is furthermore responsible for examining and considering these issues to decide upon them from the Shariah point of view in a new way seriously considering religious fundamentals and coping with the developments of the modern era.