In cooperation with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) held a medical fiqh symposium on 21-22 Rabiul Awal 1446, corresponding to 24-25 September 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, Member of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, Imam-Khatib of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, and President of the Academy, H.E. Prof. Hisham bin Saad Al-Judhaie, CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in Saudi Arabia, and H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of IIFA, and numerous members, experts, and specialists from within and outside the Academy.

H.E. Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid delivered the opening speech, expressing his gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their continuous support of the Academy. He also acknowledged the generous facilities and services provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, enabling the Academy to easily fulfill its mission and objectives. His Excellency remarked, “One of the primary objectives of the Academy is to clarify Shariah rulings on contemporary issues, making it easier to apply them in the development of legislation, laws, and regulations that align with Islamic Sharia. The Academy also responds to calls for expressing and interpreting Sharia views on the new developments and challenges facing the Ummah.” He urged jurists and scholars to thoroughly study these developments, guided by divine revelation, authentic prophetic traditions, and the methodology of the early scholars and imams of ijtihad, who employed sound methods of deduction and reasoning.”

H.E. Prof. Hisham bin Saad Al-Judhaei also spoke, praising the close cooperation between the two institutions, stating: “We are pleased to collaborate through this blessed symposium with the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. As new developments emerge in the food industry, there is an urgent need to address these matters jurisprudentially, enhancing the reliability of halal products for Muslims locally and internationally. This includes unifying global halal standards and strengthening coordination with donor agencies. Agreements have been signed with various centers to collaborate on legislative and technical research.”

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, in his introductory remarks during the opening session, expressed his pleasure regarding the strategic partnership between the Food and Drug Authority and the Academy on such and crucial topic for Muslims worldwide. He said, “New issues and developments are rapidly evolving, and these changes are becoming increasingly complex and intertwined. Considering this, scholars of ijtihad and fatwa must seek guidance from collective ijtihad institutions, where experts in deduction and reasoning collaborate with leading scholars from various disciplines, including human and social sciences, as well as natural sciences. This collaboration ensures the development of sound Sharia rulings on new and emerging issues.” His Excellency also emphasized that this symposium aims to clarify the appropriate Sharia rulings on new food products, hoping the participants will approach these products with calm reflection, critical analysis, and solid guidance.

At the end, the Academy issued a final statement summarizing the symposium’s sessions, which will be published soon, In Sha Allah. It is worth noting that this symposium reflects the continued coordination and strategic partnership between the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, which previously co-organized a conference in June 2022 about the Sharia rulings on several food-related issues.