His Eminence Prof. Shawki Allaam, Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt, received His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), on Wednesday 27 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1442, corresponding to July 7, 2021, at the headquarters of Dar al-Ifta in Cairo.

His Eminence gave His Excellency and the delegation accompanying him a warm welcome, praising the scientific status of the Academy, and its great role in managing developments and studying calamities. He also expressed his pride in the academic ties that links him with the Secretary General of the Academy for many years now and the readiness of Dar al-Ifta to discuss and enhance aspects of cooperation and coordination with the Academy in the field of fatwas.

During the meeting, His Eminence also reviewed the historical stages Dar Al-Ifta went through, the various tasks it carries out, and the shariah and fatwa services it provides to the Egyptian Muslims in particular and to the world in general. His Eminence also added Dar Al-Ifta paid great attention to the issue of qualifying and training muftis, through training programs of up to three years, two of which are theoretical study, and the third year a practical training on the fatwa.

His Eminence then pointed out that Dar Al-Ifta set among its goals to be a think tank for fatwa bodies worldwide, and recently established a general secretariat for fatwa authorities worlwide to be an umbrella for gathering fatwa authorities around the world for the purpose of consultation, exchange of experiences, and establishment of joint initiatives and projects in the field of fatwas.

For his part, His Excellency the Secretary General thanked His Excellency the Mufti for welcoming him and the accompanying delegation, and for giving him the opportunity to visit the renowned Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta, which was and still is a leading reference for guidance, direction, and teaching, as it was and still is a role model in the field of fatwas worldwide. His Excellency praised Dar Al-Ifta’s openness to the spirit of the times and keeping pace with the developments and changes that the world is going through, noting in the meantime the Academy’s desire to coordinate and communicate with it in order to enable many of the Academy’s member states to benefit from the rich experience and expertise of Dar Al-Ifta. He pointed out that encouraging cooperation, coordination, and integration between the fatwa bodies and the Shariah Councils in the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is one of the most important goals of the Academy as per its statutes.

His Excellency concluded his speech by stating that the Academy being the supreme legal reference for the member states of the OIC requires it to be open and coordinate with all the fatwas authorities inside and outside the Muslim world, and it also requires it to work hard to achieve intellectual convergence, knowledge integration, and communication between Muslim scholars.

Then Dr. Ibrahim Najm, advisor to the Mufti of Egypt and Secretary General of the Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, gave an overview of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide and explained that the secretariat includes important departments such as the Research Department, a dedicated department for conferences and initiatives, a Global Fatwa Index, a Fatwa Support Center, and a center for studies of extremism.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties exchanged souvenirs.