The new Fiqh academy, which was endorsed by the Cabinet recently, will promote moderate thinking, said Towfeek Al-Sudairy, undersecretary at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call & Guidance.
“The order issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to establish an academy for research in Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) is a historic one,” said Al-Sudairy.
Last Monday the Cabinet approved the establishment of a Jurisprudence Academy under the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The academy aims to clarify Shariah rulings relevant to contemporary issues through collective jurisprudence without adhering to a particular religious school of thought (madhab).
A high commission shall be formed for the academy to draw its general policies and set its plans and programs, and its president will have the rank of a minister. The academy will have a council with 50 key members and 10 non-key members, including prominent Islamic scholars, as well as its president and vice president.
Al-Sudairy said the academy would set out guidelines for research work in Fiqh and Hadith.
“The Kingdom follows moderate views and opinions in both Fiqh and Hadith,” he pointed out. “The academy will be a major step in fulfilling the needs of modern Muslim society across the world.”
New Fiqh academy to promote moderation
