The Second International Conference of the UAE Council for Fatwa in Abu Dhabi concludes its work with a number of recommendations

(MENAFN- Viola Communications) ABU DHABI, UAE, 8th November, 2023: Based on the civilizational vision of the United Arab Emirates, paying due appreciation to its leadership role and marking the Year of Sustainability, in conjunction with the State's hosting of COP 28 and under the kind patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, the UAE Council for Fatwa has concluded its Second International Conference under the title, “Towards Sharīʿa Conceptualization of Scientific Developments: Civilizational Methodology, Real-World Applications, and Ethics of Sustainability" in the capital Abu Dhabi. Hosted over the course of two days on the 7th and 8th November, the event took place with the participation and attendance of more than 160 scholars and specialists in Shari’a and natural sciences, with Muftis, legal experts, doctors, professors, engineers, academics and astronomers representing 50 countries.
At the conclusion of the conference, the UAE Council for Fatwa and Conference participants and representatives of more than 70 International Fatwa bodies and institutions, sincerely expressed their praise and prayers to UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his deputies, and extended thanks to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, members of the Supreme Council, crown princes and deputy rulers of the Emirates, for the continuous support shown to all leading scientific and Fatwa initiatives that demonstrates the tolerant, compassionate and gracious nature of Islam.
The conference called for raising awareness and developing a sense of responsibility for issues related to the environment, health, renewable energy, and space, keeping abreast of their developments, and investing in Fatwa and Shari’a opinion in raising awareness of these responsibilities, utilizing Shari’a rulings and the gracious Islamic teachings governing them, by presenting the principles of Islam, its teachings and general directives, that call for preserving the components of the environment and human integrity, and to sustain food security without causing disturbance to environmental balance.
The conference highlighted the national Islamic history of the United Arab Emirates through an exhibition held on the margins of the conference, entitled: "Emirati Heritage: a narrative of religious and humane values", which emphasized the UAE’s national religious identity and its inherent historical roots, based on the values of moderation, tolerance and cultural openness, and establishing a generational connection to promote its sustainability.
Outcomes and Recommendations

The Conference recommended the establishment of a virtual global platform under the auspices of the UAE Council for Fatwa, with the participation of scholars and experts from various Fatwa bodies and national institutions, with a view to conducting ongoing research, in-depth studies, sharing field experiences and knowledge-exchanging meetings on emerging scientific issues, as well as to sensitize the public on the “Abu Dhabi Charter for Scientific Developments”, which was launched at the Conference, in an attempt to deal with scientific developments, conceptualize them within the context of the charter, and translate it into foreign languages in order to facilitate spreading the message and enable publicizing the charter as one of the cultural sources available for Fatwa bodies and institutions.
The Conference also recommended the preparation of qualitative initiatives aimed at raising awareness among all members of society of the importance, status and seriousness of Fatwas, particularly with regard to Fatwas concerning emerging scientific issues, and warning against the influence of Fatwas spread by unauthorized individuals and across social media portals and digital platforms, in order to protect the social integrity of communities. It was also recommended that educational and academic institutions and universities should formulate well-designed academic courses that establish the theory of the Shari’a Conceptualization of Scientific Developments and their realistic applications in various aspects, in theory and practice, in coordination with Fatwa bodies and institutions.
The Conference also called for strengthening governance and reinforcing the status of Fatwa bodies and institutions utilizing successful models and experiences, deepening cooperation between Fatwa bodies, working together on formulating proper methodologies and curricula, delivering proper training and empowerment to cadres, and most importantly, creating houses of expertise with the aim of enacting laws and legislation that enhance sustainability ethics and empower moral stability that helps in dealing with contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence, and ultimately to adjust the process of Fatwa generally, and on the scientific level in particular.
The Emirates Global Award for Fatwa Studies and Civilizational Ijtihad
The conference announced the launch of the "Emirates Global Award for Fatwa Studies and Civilizational Ijtihad", which is to be awarded to Fatwa institutions and distinguished research in the field of Fatwa, based on the UAE's strategic vision and plans for designing a future of scientific research, supporting researchers in various fields and providing all means and scholarly tools to enhance the structure of scientific research, which contributes to the benefit and wellbeing of people, the achievement of comprehensive national development, and preserves cultural identity, moral values and civilizational heritage.
The award aims to encourage official Fatwa institutions to compete positively in the field of research and Ijtihad studies, enabling scholarly research and serious studies in the development of the Fatwa system, activating cultural Ijtihad on emerging issues, enhancing its contribution in the fields of development, as well as promoting noble values and entrenching the principles of moderation and tolerance in the field of Fatwa.

Sessions Overview
The conference comprised 6 sessions: an opening session, with a keynote speech from His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and a keynote speech by the Chairman of the Conference, His Excellency Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Council for Fatwa, in the presence of an esteemed group of scholars, and senior levels officials. This was followed by five sessions on five themes, namely: the Fatwa on scientific developments: "Towards a disciplined and sustainable methodology that caters to human needs", “Fatwa in the field of space and climate and their conceptualization to scientific developments”, “Fatwa in the field of medical issues and their conceptualization to scientific developments”, “Fatwa in family medicine issues and their conceptualization to scientific developments”, and “Fatwa in the field of artificial intelligence and their conceptualization to scientific developments”.
In-depth ancillary meetings and sessions at the Conference addressed 10 contemporary issues and the realistic applications of conceptualization of scientific development in the areas of renewable energy, human genome, worship in spacecraft, cultured meat, surrogacy, milk banks, pig’s heart transplant into humans, smart chip transplants, autonomous robots, and big data trading. Discussions were carried out based on the tools of civilizational Ijtihad, general principles of Shari’a and universal moral values to achieve a balanced and realistic understanding of new scientific breakthroughs, innovations and inventions to reach accurate perceptions and comprehensive Shari’a approaches towards them.

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