Within the activities of the 20th Annual Conference on Islamic Studies in Indonesia, His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), participated in the first plenary session of the Islamic Family Law Conference, on Tuesday 20 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1443H corresponding to October 26, 2021G.

In his speech, His Excellency thanked the organizers for paying attention to this important aspect of Muslim life and indicated the importance of such specialized scientific conferences to research and study laws related to the Muslim family because of their profound impact on the cohesion of the fabric of society, and the granting of all family members, especially women, with all their rights as ordered by Sharia, the Noble Qur’an, and the Noble Prophetic Sunnah.

During his intervention, His Excellency touched on the importance of reviewing a number of concepts and ijtihad that were woven around issues related to Muslim women, starting with the marriage of underage girls, passing through the importance of documenting marriage and divorce, and moving on to issues of custody, and ending with issues of female genital mutilation, and women taking over the judiciary and public mandates. His Excellency mentioned that there is a confusion between the provisions of Sharia and many customs and traditions that are considered legal provisions, and the case is that they are traditions and customs that should be scrutinized by Sharia and its purposes, pointing in this regard to the importance of raising a number of suspicions and circumstantial jurisprudence that permitted some practices that have become harmful and unacceptable as the case is in the marriage of minors, female genital mutilation, the prevention of qualified women from assuming the judiciary, and other imposed issues of Ijtihad.

His Excellency added that Islamic Sharia has preserved the economic rights of women for centuries, as it enabled them to inherit at a time when women were marginalized and did not obtain their most basic material and moral rights. The Sharia also considered the importance of the role of women within the family, urging to give them good education and proper upbringing so that they can raise distinguished generations that serve the Ummah and carry the enlightened message of Islam. His Excellency also spoke about the importance of Islamic Sharia laws that preserve women’s moral dignity and physical sanctity. It is not permissible by Sharia to attack her verbally or physically, and it is not permissible to practice some social customs that are harmful to her, as is the case with the physical distortions that she is exposed to. His Excellency pointed out the necessity of subjecting customs and traditions to the teachings and purposes of Sharia.

Dr. Farid Shuaib, Head of Civil Law Department at the International Islamic University in Malaysia, Dr. Eka Srimulyani, Professor of Psychology at Sharif Hidayatullah Islamic University in Indonesia, and Dr. Euis Nurlaelawati, Professor of Islamic Family Law at Sharif Hidayatullah Islamic University, also participated in the session.