News

The World Muslim Communities Council (TWMCC) organized a scholarly symposium titled: "Exploring the Vision of Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah: Jurisprudential Creativity from Foundations to Application," with the participation of a distinguished group of scholars and thinkers specializing in contemporary Islamic thought. The event was part of the Council's activities at its special pavilion during the 34th edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2025.

Participants in the symposium included HE Dr. Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, and will be attended by Prof. Mohand Mechenene, Professor at the Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities; Prof. Yousef Hmito, Professor at the Mohamed bin ZayedUniversity for Humanities; and Dr. Mohamed Mahjoub Bin Banih, Senior Researcher at the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace.

In his address during the symposium, HE Dr. Khalifa Al Dhaheriemphasized that the journey of the eminent scholar Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah reveals an extraordinary intellect — one that combines the depth of a philosopher, the eloquence of a literary master and the wisdom of a profound thinker. He said, "Abdullah bin Bayyah bridges reason and revelation; in his person, the light of knowledge meets the refinement of character, making intellect speak with knowledge and beauty embrace understanding."

According to Professor Dr. Mohand Mechenene, Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah can be regarded as similar to Imam Al-Juwainy, one of the most important classical Muslim scholars. He mentions that Sheikh bin Bayyah's distinct awareness of the world and place among Muslims globally stems from his profound understanding of legal rulings coupled with scientific reasoning.  

During the same meeting, Dr. Youssef Hmito emphasized that Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah's legal project, specially crafted through his book "Alerting Reviewers to the Foundations of Contemporary Jurisprudence," focused on ijtihad, or independent reasoning, the most. He added that the strength of the structure in Sheikh bin Bayyah's thought shows a deep understanding of contemporary issues and crises.  

Moreover, Dr. Mohamed Mahjoub Bin Banih rounded up the discussions by stating that Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah could identify the dissonance within religious discourse some time ago and sought to bridge it with the realities of Muslim communities. He discussed how the Sheikh tried to address numerous intellectual contradictions by "Alerting Reviewers". He established that religious structures are critical to the nation, not just foreign entities.

This symposium is one of the initiatives organized by the World Council of Muslim Communities which strives to evolve a contemporary moderate Islamic Thought, fostering a culture of Human coexistence and developing tools for ijtihad to face the challenges of this era.