By Ola Bawazir
GOMBAK, 1 May 2018: With vast development of technology and international openness in the 21st century, the Islamic ummah faces several challenges that require Ejtihad Fiqhi from Islamic scholars to address global issues of the Muslim youth and to resolve their problems.
Dr. Arif Ali Arif, who is the Academic Fellow of Fiqah and Ussul Al-Fiqah in the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS), said recently that more Islamic scholars were needed to resolve modern world issues. He was a guest in the “Insights into Research and Publications” programme hosted by KIRKHS Research Committee which was broadcast over IIUM.fm.
He said, “Muslims need to perform Taweel Nosos to overcome the problems that appear every day in the Islamic world.” He described the IIUM as a centre of elm and knowledge in the Islamic world as it has inspired thousands of students in the Islamic world and provided them with various aspects of the sciences.
Born in Kurdistan Iraq in 1944, his father was Imam and a teacher in the mosque and also a trader. After graduating from high school, he received an offer to attend a medical school in Vienna, but at the same time, his father died and his relatives advised him to continue what his father and grandfather had started, where he could receive more ajar too.
He accepted their recommendation and studied at the Kulliyyah of Al-Sharee’a in Baghdad to continue the tradition of his late grandfather in studying religious sciences of Fiqh and Sharee’a.
Once he graduated, he went to Cairo for post graduate studies in Al-Azhar University. He described his educational journey in Al-Azhar as a very interesting stage in his life because Al-Azhar was an important educational centre in the Islamic world, and that he had the opportunity to meet with significant Islamic scholars and gained knowledge on the Islamic sciences and thoughts.
In addition, he learned Al-Adab and Al-Helm and the special relationship between a teacher and a student where he understood how to converse elm to a good behaviour.
Asked about his research he said, “I have written more than 33 books and 62 research papers, conducted 35 research projects, produced 50 conference papers, and supervised 90 doctoral dissertations and 60 master thesis. There are 10 books under publishing contemporary issues and all of these scientific products are in Islamic banking and finances, family issues, and modern medical researches, etc.”
He shared with listeners about his family life, where it has been 45 years since he got married and he has four children.
Concluding the interview, Dr. Ali spoke on the importance of family relationship and how Islamic enemies try to destroy those tough chains, but said, “they can’t because they know that the Islamic family produces strong generations, which provide the Islamic world with strength and solidarity.”
He advised Islamic spouses to protect their families by embracing forgiveness, tolerance and love. ***