Int’l scholars discuss ijtihad, qiyas at İstanbul symposium


Date posted: May 11, 2014

ISTANBUL

Around 1,000 theologians, academics and opinion leaders from more than 100 countries gathered for a two-day symposium in İstanbul over the weekend to discuss the importance of ijtihad and qiyas in Islam.

Both ijtihad (independent reasoning) and qiyas (deductive reasoning) are two key concepts in Islam.

The symposium, titled “Ijtihad and Qiyas: The Richness of Islam,” took place at the İstanbul Congress Center and was jointly organized by the Yeni Ümit and Hira magazines.

The participants of the symposium agreed that ijtihad reveals the universality of Islam and gives Muslims a chance to find solutions to their problems everywhere and under any circumstances. They said ijtihad needs to be kept alive so that the Islamic ummah (nation) can remain standing.

Professor Suat Yıldırım spoke on the first day of the symposium and said the concept of ijtihad shows how Islam is sufficient in addressing the needs of humanity and responds to the changing conditions of the times.

“We can proudly say that wherever Muslims have lived over the last 14 centuries they have seen that principles of Islam are sufficient for them for problem solving. This has been possible thanks to ijtihad,” Yıldırım said.

Professor Beşir Gözübenli explained that ijtihad is an effort to reveal the message of God. He mentioned the last sermon of Prophet Muhammad, in which he said he has left the Quran and sunnah [his way of life] as a legacy to Muslims. Gözübenli said that thanks to ijtihad, the correct understanding of the Quran and sunnah, their practice and their transfer to future generations are assured.

Professor Abdunnasir Abul Basal from Jordan talked about the importance of ijtihad in ensuring the Islamic ummah is made up of upstanding citizens. He said Prophet Muhammad taught ijtihad to the sahaba (his companions) so that they could find solutions to new problems.

“Ijtihad is one of the signs of a healthy Muslim life and mind. Ijtihad is an obligation for Islam to exist in reality. If there is a problem, there is a need for ijtihad to find a solution,” he said.

The editor-in-chief of Hira magazine, which is published in Arabic and has an audience of over 40,000, said the editorial board of the magazine decided to discuss ijtihad and qiyas in their latest edition.

Speaking on Sunday, the second day of the symposium, Jordanian Professor Ali al-Faqir, said as long as Muslims fulfill the requirements of ijtihad, the doors of reasoning will always be open for them. Al-Faqir warned that if qiyas is used by incompetent people, this could lead to disastrous results for the Islamic ummah.

“We need to make use of ijtihad and qiyas. We are the members of a religion of tolerance. The future of our ummah is very bright,” he said.

Professor Muhammad Babaammi said in his speech that ijtihad, freedom and submission to God are three inseparable concepts. Jordanian scholar Marwan al-Fuari echoed these sentiments and offered his thanks to the organizers of the symposium.

He also praised the Hizmet movement, inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, and said such a movement cannot be accused of being Hashashins — a medieval group that carried out political assassinations. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has adopted a hostile attitude toward the movement, accused it of establishing a state within the state and of being behind a graft probe in which several government members were implicated. He likened Hizmet to the Hashashin.

“Dear friends of such a holy movement. Don’t be saddened by the problems you face. You are strategic architects. You are not Hashashin,” he said. He added that the Hizmet movement is not involved in any work against the interests of Turkey.

Gülen sent a message to the participants of the symposium, saying: “Ijtihad and qiyas present a significant field of expansion … that transcends time and space, as it is found in the Quran and the sunnah. We will never run out of solutions and answers as long as these rich sources are available, with their doors wide open for those who are able to benefit from them.”

“Your gathering today is an example of revisiting the essential sources of our cultural heritage with untarnished feelings … and it is my sincere hope that it will contribute extensively to our academia and culture. With these feelings, I present my greetings, love and respect to all participants, and ask them to include me in their prayers,” Gülen said.

Source: Todays Zaman , May 11, 2014


Related News

Erdogan Budgets $150m To Displace Hizmet Schools In Africa

The motive behind Maarif Foundation is to use it as a tool to pressurize African countries to transfer ownership of Hizmet movement linked schools to the Maarif Foundation since the request for the closure of these schools were turned down for lacking in merit.

Colours of the World; IFLC Pakistan grand finale

Grand Finale of Pakistan round in the 14th Annual International Language and Culture Festival was held at Expo Centre Lahore on Saturday February 27, 2016. Minister Education Government of the Punjab, Rana Mashhod Ahmed and Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman were the guests of honour in the event.

Kerry: Turkish President’s Insinuation of US Role in Attempted Coup is ‘Harmful to Our Bilateral Relations’

John Kerry: We invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny. And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately.”

Turks, Rio de Janeiro gov’t sign agreement to further education efforts in Brazil

The Brazilian-Turkish Cultural Center (CCBT) and the Rio de Janeiro state government signed an education cooperation agreement on Tuesday paving the way for the establishment of a long-anticipated “Brazil-Turkey Intercultural High School” by Turkish entrepreneurs sympathetic to the faith-based Gülen movement in Duque de Caxias, a city in southeast Brazil.

Turkish prosecutor says Gülen movement founded by CIA!

A Turkish prosecutor in İzmir, investigating the financial links of the Gülen movement, which is inspired by the views of US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, has claimed that the organizational structure of the group is the same as that of the Mormon Church and the Church of Scientology in the United States and that all three groups were founded by US intelligence agency the CIA.

Why didn’t Chuck Hagel visit Turkey?

The government took new measures to prevent the graft probe from proceeding, in an attempt to create the public perception that the corruption allegations are the making of the Hizmet movement and its alleged foreign collaborators. For instance, a new measure introduced by the government to tighten control over the Internet, including powers allowing the authorities to block websites for privacy violations without a court decision, is part of a campaign to prevent news related to the corruption scandal from being disseminated further through the Internet.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Saudi Scholar: Turkish gov’t must give up ‘terrorist’ slander against Gülen

Black propaganda websites granted legal shield

25 World Rights Groups Demand Turkey Scrap Emergency Rule

Kimse Yok Mu’s permanent assistance continues in the Philippines

Food and fun abound at Turkish Festival

Fethullah Gülen on Islam’s Relationship and Compatibility with Democracy

No country is safe for Gülen sympathizers, Erdoğan says

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News