His Excellency Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy, participated in the third annual meeting of the General Assembly of the Islamic Forum for Halal Accreditation Bodies (IFHAB), held in Makkah on Thursday, 20 Jumada al‑Akhirah 1447 AH, corresponding to 11 December 2025, with the attendance of representatives of accreditation bodies from OIC member states.
At the beginning of his speech, His Excellency expressed his sincere thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—its King, Crown Prince, government, and people—for their generous patronage of this meeting, which reflects the Kingdom’s leading role in supporting halal quality at the international level and in unifying efforts to develop the global halal sector. He also conveyed his deep appreciation to the organisers of the meeting, praising the efforts of Dr Adel Al‑Qaeed, President of IFHAB, and his distinguished team for their commendable work.
His Excellency then spoke about the significant changes that have occurred in the halal industry in the contemporary world, noting that these emerging issues are known only to Allah Almighty, and—by His grace—to the firmly grounded scholars whom Allah grants the ability to understand the rulings related to such developments.
He also highlighted the Academy’s role in clarifying Shariah rulings on new and emerging issues, emphasising that the Academy is the highest authority on fiqh for the Muslim Ummah. It brings together an elite group of leading scholars, jurists, and expert researchers who convene to study contemporary issues, provide effective scholarly solutions, clarify appropriate Shariah rulings, and issue relevant resolutions and recommendations.
His Excellency noted that the Academy has an extensive history in this field, having issued numerous resolutions on matters such as slaughtering, poultry stunning, transformation and consumption, dairy products, milk banks, and others. He stressed the importance of institutions and companies issuing halal certificates, citing the resolutions and recommendations of fiqh academies and Shariah bodies, which are the qualified authorities for determining Shariah rulings on contemporary halal industry developments.
He further emphasised the importance of cooperation, compassion, and adherence to the concept of unity mentioned in the Qur’anic verse: “Indeed, this Ummah of yours is one Ummah, and I am your Lord, so fear Me.” (Surat al‑Mu’minun, 52). He explained that the intended unity is unity of sentiment and unity of religious practice among Muslim peoples.
He cited the Prophet’s saying:
“The example of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for one another is like that of a body; when any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.”
This, he noted, is a profound illustration of unity of feeling, calling for solidarity, cooperation, and mutual compassion among Muslims.
As for the unity of religious practice, he referenced the Prophet’s saying:
“Whoever prays our prayer, faces our qiblah, and eats from our slaughtered animals is a Muslim who has the protection of Allah and His Messenger.”
He explained that prayer, facing the qiblah, and consuming the slaughtered animals of Muslims are living examples of unity in religious practice, affirming the strength of the bond and the depth of brotherhood. This obliges scholars to work toward strengthening this unity by standardizing the criteria and measurements used to determine halal status in clothing, food, medicine, and other products.
His Excellency’s address was warmly received by the participants, who praised his remarks highlighting the importance of affection, mercy, and compassion. The Muslim Ummah, they agreed, is in greater need today than ever before to reinforce these manifestations—both in sentiment and in practice—to achieve the unity called for by the Qur’an and the noble Sunnah.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Omar Zuhair Hafiz, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General; Dr. Abdullah Omar Al‑Tamimi, Director of the Fatwa, Review, and Libraries Department; and Mr. Amjad Ibrahim Mustafa Al‑Mansi, Head of the Protocol Division.