By, Belayet Hossen
Today, it was a wonderful session with Professor Dr. Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi, a visiting Professor, International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), which has been held from 3.00 p.m to 5.00 p.m on Friday, 15 August 2025, at al-Shafi Conference Room, IRK Building, IIUM.
Professor Dr. Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi has delivered a stunning lecture on “Advancing Tawhidic Epistemology: The Role of Experts in Islamic Jurisprudence “, where he said that we have to understand fiqh deeply if we want to solve our current problems. Fiqh teaches us how to think, how to pursue Ijtihad and how to solve the problems. In the contemporary world, we have many readers but very few mujtahids and fuqaha we have. It is the responsibility of our scholars and mujtahids to study the crises and problems that our Ummah is collectively facing today and solve them with their accurate knowledge, wisdom and techniques.
He added that blind imitation (taqlīd) has pushed us back. If we want to go ahead and develop our lives, societies and states, we must avoid blind imitation. Our Ummah needs many mujtahids and experts who can truly diagnose diseases of the Ummah and provide the accurate and time-befitting solution.
Additionally, he said that it is the tawhid that keeps us united and alive. It is also the principle of knowledge, where the source of all knowledge is Allah (swt). Our previous scholars like Imam Al-Gazali, Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Farabi, Al-Razi, Ibn Sina and others integrated the concept of tawhid with Islamic Jurisprudence. Scholars of this period should play the same role and contribute to the production of knowledge and the resolution of the contemporary crises.
He further said that our Muslims should amass knowledge as the western academia has amassed and has been serving mankind. In this world, every civilization has firstly gathered knowledge then gathered wealth. So, if we want to make our civilization long-lasting and sustainable, we should first focus on gaining knowledge.
In this case, collective Ijtihad is always crucial. If our scholars can collectively pursue Ijtihad, it may help them to swiftly reach the goals which should be achieved for the betterment of mankind. To pursue Ijtihad, we always have to have a group of people ready, who always will be pursuing Ijtihad about which the holy Quran also has emphasized.
The program was moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Sayyed Mohamed Muhsin, respected Head, Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, as resource persons, there were some other scholars like Professor Dr. El Tahir El Mesawi, Associate Professor Dr. Abdulhamid Mohamed Ali Zaroum, Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Saheed al-Busari and numerous masters and PhD students from the different departments of the university.***
Belayet Hossen is a PhD candidate from the Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM.
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