As part of its participation in the Al-Hassaniya conferences in Morocco, Dar al-Hadith al-Hasaniyah Foundation organized a scientific dialogue between H.E. Prof. Koutoub Sano and the college’s female doctoral students in order to benefit from his thought, knowledge and great experience. The meeting took place in the morning of Wednesday 21 Ramadan 1444, corresponding to April 12, 2023.

His Excellency was welcomed by the Deputy Director and Secretary General of the Foundation, who said that His Excellency’s visit to the Foundation and his approval of this dialogue is a good opportunity that the students should invest to get acquainted with his rich intellectual career and distinguished scientific experience, He has also worked in his country, the Republic of Guinea, as Minister of Religious Affairs, Minister of International Cooperation and Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Republic for 12 years. He is currently the Secretary General of the International Academy of Islamic Fiqh, affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

For his part, His Excellency began his speech by expressing his utmost gratitude and thanks to the Commander of the Faithful, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God protect him, for the great attention he pays to religious affairs and its institutions inside and outside the Kingdom of Morocco. His Excellency also expressed his sincere thanks to Dar Al-Hadith Al-Hassaniyya Foundation, which is a well-established institution known for its prestigious and pioneering scientific status. His Excellency congratulated its leadership on the successful implementation of its new program, which aims at preparing a generation of scholars endowed with religious knowledge and the principles of humanities and social sciences, mastering one of the contemporary international languages in order to enable them to access the sciences and knowledge available in these languages.

His Excellency spoke of the importance of perseverance and eagerness to seek knowledge, and avoid laziness, lethargy, complacency and self-admiration, as well as the importance of investing time and energy in what is beneficial and useful, referring in this regard to the need to persevere in reading, writing, learning, seeking knowledge and attending scientific seminars, He also stressed that discipline, sincerity, dedication, good time management and prioritization are the basis of any successful work, be it scientific, administrative or political, stressing the importance of humility, open-mindedness and integration with others. At the same time, His Excellency spoke about the many experiences he had in his political work, as well as before and during his academic and administrative career at the university. He also assured the students that a person’s success in any work or activity he or she undertakes is due to God, and then to adopting the necessary means to achieve the objectives and goals.

His Excellency concluded his speech by urging the students not to despair and give up when some of the goals they set for themselves are not achieved, as one should learn from the mistakes and failures one is exposed to in life, and beware of despair, reminding them that a person has four enemies he or she should fight, namely ignorance, poverty, disease and despair Despair is the most dangerous of these enemies, for ignorance can be fought with learning, poverty can be fought with work, and disease can be cured with treatment.

His Excellency called upon them to move away from despair, abandonment, laziness and self-admiration, and to embrace optimism, trust in Allah and His goodness, eagerness to seek knowledge, and devotion to it with the importance of accompanying the serious, diligent and learned people, and to move away from the lazy, those who withdraw from life, those who surrender to helplessness; and to always remember what the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, PBUH, said when asked how he was able to accumulate so much knowledge in different fields despite his young age, he replied with his famous phrase: With a responsible tongue and a mindful heart.

The students asked a number of questions about the secret of His Excellency’s ability to innovate and excel in the scientific, political and diplomatic fields. Their questions also focused on the future of Arab culture and Arabic speakers on the African continent, as well as their involvement in political activism.

His Excellency emphasized the need to trust in Allah, then in oneself, and not to give in to attempts at exclusion. On the contrary, one must commit oneself wisely after having mastered the factors of success and considered the causes and means.

At the end of the meeting, the Secretary General was presented with the shield of Al-Hassaniya Foundation, and they renewed their thanks for his visit.