H.E. Prof. Koutoub Sano, Secretary General of the Academy, accompanied by a delegation from the Academy, paid a courtesy call on H.E. Sheikh Dr. Abdulatif bin Abdulaziz Aal-Sheikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in his office in Jeddah on Monday morning, 19 Shawal 1442 corresponding to 31 May 2021.

His Excellency the Minister welcomed the Secretary General and the accompanying delegation and congratulated him on his appointment as Secretary General of the Academy, noting the great role entrusted to the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in our times as a legal reference for nearly two billion Muslims. His Excellency the Minister spoke about the need to pay more attention to correcting misconceptions about Islam, and to avoid the use of religion for worldly gains and political ambitions, mentioning in this regard the importance of adhering to moderation and temperance in order to combat deviant thoughts, and aberrant fatwas issued by people far from the essence of Islam.

His Excellency the Minister also stressed the need for the jurists and experts of the Academy, who represent fifty-seven member states, to fulfill their legitimate responsibility in explaining the divine law and guiding people to the correct belief and acts of goodness. He also expressed the importance of joining efforts and coordinating approaches to promote a culture of moderation and temperance. He concluded his speech by saying to the Secretary General of the Academy: “I have confidence in the knowledge of Your Excellency, and I know that you are intelligent, skillful, energetic and experienced, and therefore, we hope that you will advance the Academy to enable it to achieve its mission and objectives”, stressing in this regard the readiness of the Ministry to provide full support to the Academy within the framework of what the law allows, and expressing at the same time his agreement to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two parties after consultation with the competent authorities.

For his part, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the Academy, expressed his sincere thanks to His Excellency the Minister for his warm welcome. He also conveyed to His Excellency the Minister the greetings of H.E. Sheikh Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, President of the Academy, praising the appreciated efforts made by His Excellency the Minister to develop the activities of the Ministry and its performance in order to meet the challenges of the time.

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Sano then presented an overview of the Academy, its history, vision, mission, objectives, means as well as its members, noting in this respect that the Academy is a global, legal and scientific body emanating from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It is considered as a scientific platform for intellectual convergence and integration of knowledge among the jurists and intellectuals of the Ummah representing fifty-seven (57) Member States. On this occasion, His Excellency praised the generous care that the Academy has received -since its establishment to date- from the wise leadership of the Headquarters State and the Saudi people with all its components.

His Excellency also reviewed some of the achievements of the Academy, represented in its resolutions and recommendations, which amount to two hundred and thirty-eight (238) resolutions and recommendations on various topics and issues of concern to Muslims worldwide, as well as a good set of multiple statements issued from time to time, the most recent of which is the statement of the Secretariat General of the Academy regarding the Shariah rulings on the taking of available vaccines against Covid-19, the use of Zakat funds for the purchase of vaccines, and the precautionary measures taken by the Saudi government regarding visitors to the two holy mosques during Ramadan.

His Excellency affirmed that the Academy has continued to provide Shariah assistance to ifta bodies, Shariah councils and Islamic financial institutions in OIC member states and Muslim communities, regarding Shariah provisions governing calamities and developments. On this occasion, His Excellency expressed his aspiration to strengthen cooperation, partnership and coordination with the Ministry in various fields of common interest, especially in the field of joint organization of conferences, seminars and roundtables, as well as in the preparation of researches and studies, exchange of publications, in addition to coordinating efforts and unifying visions to disseminate the approach of moderation and temperance in the world. His Excellency also emphasized that the mission of the Academy is to present the teachings of Islam in a moderate manner by emphasizing their advantages, greatness, flexibility, applicability at any time and place, as well as their full capacity to provide practical solutions and satisfactory answers to the problems, challenges and calamities of contemporary life, based on the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), as well as on the rich Islamic heritage.

At the end of the meeting, Prof. Koutoub Sano invited His Excellency the Minister to visit the General Secretariat of the Academy, and then he answered the journalists’ questions on the importance of spreading a culture of moderation and the right balance. He also emphasized in his answer that the achievement of security and stability and the realization of happiness and prosperity lie in the commitment of the Ummah, peoples and individuals, to the culture of the middle way and the approach of moderation, pointing out meanwhile what Allah the Almighty said: “And We have made you an intermediary nation so that you may be a witness for mankind and the Messenger may be a witness against you.”

At the end of the visit, both parties exchanged souvenirs. His Excellency the Minister presented to the Secretary General of the Academy a luxurious and elegant copy of the Holy Qur’an of Madinah while the Secretary General of the Academy presented him with a copy of the fourth edition of the Academy’s resolutions and recommendations and the first issue of its scientific series.