Fighi Seminar And Methods

Fiqhi Seminar and Methods

 

Fiqhi seminars are one of the most important activities of the IFA. The Academy has utilized this method as a tool for advancement of collective Ijtihad among the contemporary jurists.

 

The Academy follows a unique methodology for debating new issues and the decisions are arrived at after passing several stages of research and discussions. The first stage is to select topics to be discussed in the seminar. For this purpose the opinions in writing are sought from personalities participating in seminar for forthcoming seminars. All opinions forwarded so far in different seminars have been completely listed. The Academic Council of the Academy comprised of distinguished writers and academicians also gives its advice concerning the subjects, thereafter; the Executive Body selects topics for forthcoming seminars in view of all the suggestions for national and international circumstances. The attempts are made so that these topics should be related to diverse spheres of life and are in tune with the present conditions and requirements.

 

Now the secretaries of the Academy prepare the questionnaire containing points to be discussed on for the topics. Thereafter, the Secretary General tries to elaborate and scrutinize the questionnaire further. In preparation of the questionnaire the experts of modern sciences are engaged in discussions for finding out relevant knowledge as per need. Then, the questionnaire is sent to the jurists and scholars in the country and abroad. If the question concerns scientific invention or social or economic issues, the papers are written by the experts of these fields on its academic and scientific aspects. In case these papers are prepared in English Language, they are translated into Urdu, and these versions are also sent to the jurists and Islamic scholars so that the nature of the issue could be elaborated and they could be aware of its particulars and nuances. The invitations of Fiqhi seminars are sent to the jurists of the important institutions of all schools of thoughts as well as to those personalities who are involved in writing, teaching and jurisprudence or they are involved in Fiqh in any way.

 

The papers coming from academicians are very large in numbers and the Academy abridges these articles so that the opinions of all the papers written by scholars should be included in every issue. In case of unanimous opinion and otherwise the dissent is elaborated. The conclusions inferred by the paper writers on the basis of Quran and Sunnah are also mentioned in brief. The formal beginning of this process commenced from the 7th Seminar.

 

This abridgment is distributed among the participants on the occasions of seminars for the purpose of easy reference at the time of discussion.

 

 Thereafter, “Presenters” are selected for different aspects of the topic out of the paper writers themselves in view of the semantic structure of the papers. The photocopy of all the research papers concerning this aspect are provided to them, they arrange the points given in the research papers and express their preferred opinions in the light of proofs mentioned in them.

 

Then the participants in the seminars express their opinions in view of their research and study, and the abridgment of papers and discussion of the presenters. All the participants are permitted to take part in the discussion and sufficient time is granted to them for the purpose. This discussion is also recorded by a tape recorder and an able person is appointed for this work as to note down all the points coming in during the discussion. By the grace of Allah, all discussions are carried out in a serious, tranquil and peaceful atmosphere with the aim of of arriving at the truth and right decision keeping in mind that due to dissent no unpleasant event occurs mutual respect is accorded