Considering IIFA’s objective to strengthen cooperation and integration with collective ijtihad institutions within the OIC Member States, and considering the scientific status of the Iraq Fiqh Council, including its prestigious scholars active in Dawah and fatwa and given IIFA’s endeavor in approaching religious institutions in the face of calamities and developments by drawing inspiration from Islam in strengthening the bonds of solidarity among the jurists and scholars of the Ummah, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, IIFA’s Secretary General, and H.E. Prof. Ahmed Al-Taha, President of the Iraqi Fiqh Council, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Saturday, 17 Ramadan 1444, corresponding to 8 April 2023, in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

This MoC aims to develop a comprehensive plan for the methodology of issuing fatwas that Muslims need on the frequently asked questions and topics that should be addressed. Scholars and researchers in Islamic sciences are encouraged to address various issues and developments and deal with them in a way that combines tradition and modernity. The memorandum also aims at strengthening cooperation and continuous communication and coordination between the two institutions in organizing conferences and seminars, holding workshops, and training courses, exchanging publications, and representing both parties in conferences and seminars organized by each in areas of common interest.

After the signing of the MoC, the Secretary General expressed his great joy by saying: “I am very pleased to sign this memorandum in this ancient country, in this holy month, with a well-established ifta institution, headed by His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Hassan Al-Taha, may Allah protect him, and whose members are distinguished as among the most eminent Iraqi scholars, known for their commitment to moderation and balance. I take this good opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the leadership and people of the Republic of Iraq for the constant attention and support given to the Academy, as well as my deepest appreciation to the Iraqi Council for its valuable trust in the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and its sincere willingness to strengthen the relations of cooperation, coordination and partnership, which it considers a concrete and necessary action for an important historical stage for the Ummah in which the honor of serving the Sharia has transcended the limits of individual and regional efforts, and crossed political boundaries in the largest contemporary organization of collective ijtihad on the one hand, and collective fatwas on the other, in the belief of the leaders of the Islamic world that collective ijtihad is the closest to the correctness, the most reliable and the wisest. We sincerely believe that the Council is an extension of the fatwa councils and Sharia councils in the Islamic world, that it does not replace or compete with any of them, but supports national and regional institutions and fatwa bodies, and seeks to strengthen cooperative and coordinating relations with other distinguished fatwa institutions in the Islamic world and outside, in order to avoid contradictions and discrepancies in opinions and fatwas.”

For his part, the President of the Iraqi Fiqh Council expressed his great joy on this occasion and said: “We are proud to sign this memorandum with a well-established jurisprudential authority such as the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, and we are proud to cooperate with this blessed scholarly institution, hoping that the Council will benefit from its expertise, jurisprudence and close cooperation with the leading scholars of the Ummah who are members of this Academy”.

The signing ceremony of the memorandum was attended by the Council’s members, H.E. Ambassador Muhammad al-Naqshbandi, Consul General of the Republic of Iraq and Permanent Representative of Iraq to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Mr. Mohamed Adnan al-Fihri, Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Academy, and Mr. Amjad Ibrahim Mustafa, Head of Protocols at the Academy.

It is worth noting that the Iraqi Fiqh Council, composed of eminent scholars in charge of Dawah and issuing fatwas, is an independent legal reference for the Sunni Iraqi community, which interacts and cooperates with scientific, legal institutions inside and outside Iraq, intending to achieve the desired objectives in compliance with Islamic law, while building bridges of cooperation, communication, and exchange of expertise with all bodies, organizations, and institutions. The Council gathers the best scholars and jurists from Iraq and different regions, qualified to issue fatwas, conduct scientific research, and examine Islamic legal issues that require consideration in the Iraqi arena.

Besides this elite, a group of young scholars and researchers assist these scholars, learn from them, and get practical training in ifta under their guidance. This jurisprudential institution provides specialized studies in various fields.