Strategic Plan

It is the right of the reader of this Strategic Plan to have a legitimate concern about the scope of activities and programs, given the limitation of its implementing bodies. It is also the reader’s right to question the budget given the limited resources of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy and its annual budget – which comes from the contributions of the Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Based on these two considerations, the Secretariat General of the Academy seizes this opportunity to confirm the adoption of partnerships in all their forms with the various subsidiary and specialized organs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to implement the activities and programs in this Strategic Plan. The Secretariat General of the Academy also takes this opportunity to invite to its headquarters in Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) countries of the Muslim world and Muslim communities, who wish to sign partnerships with universities, institutes, and colleges in the Muslim world and beyond for the implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Regarding the financing of the activities and programs of this Strategic Plan, the Secretariat General of the Academy aspires to obtain the moral and material support of the Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its Member states. It also takes this opportunity to invite organizations, foundations, and individual donors worldwide to make generous donations to the Academy Waqf Fund, which was established by a resolution (no.6/44/2017) of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Furthermore, the Secretariat General of the Academy invites states, organizations, foundations, and institutions to choose activities and programs they wish to finance, in whole or in part, and welcomes all donations and grants to the Waqf Fund, whether absolute or limited, in ways that do not contradict the Academy’s mission.

The reader will also notice an appreciable increase in the cost of some activities and programs, which is due to the commitment of the Secretariat General of the Academy to implement several of these activities and programs within the countries of the Muslim world and Muslim communities to allow them to benefit directly from the Academy’s activities and programs.

Overall, the Secretariat General of the Academy reiterates its appeal to states, organizations, institutions, and individual donors to support this Strategic Plan to enable the Academy to earn the trust reposed in it by the leaders of the OIC Member states. Support is also needed to allow the Academy to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of Muslim countries and communities worldwide, especially in the Academy’s duty of issuing and clarifying Shariah rulings on various issues, calamities, and novelties that emerge from time to time, based on the Holy Quran, the Noble Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and the rich Islamic heritage open to the development of Islamic thought and the common universal heritage.

Finally, we ask Allah the Almighty to guide us to what will benefit us in this life and in the Hereafter, the day when neither money nor children will be beneficial, except for those who come to Allah with a sound heart.

Indeed, we want nothing but reform to the best of our ability, and our success is due only to Allah, the Most High, the Almighty, in Whom we trust and return.

Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow their path until the Day of Judgment
The success of academic and scientific institutions in the current era depends – after the grace and help of Allah the Almighty – on their commitment to several quality standards, including the clarity of vision, the height of mission, transparency of values, predictability of objectives, sustainability of resources, myriad of activities, abundance of programs, fluidness of initiatives, efficiency of indicators, professionalism of management, integrity of procedures, nobility of purpose, and sincerity of leadership.

The Academy’s commitment to these standards requires – inevitably – that it has a document that includes, among other things, a clear articulation of the vision it aspires to achieve, direct control of the mission it wants to promote, and a clear conception of the objectives it seeks to achieve. This document outlines resources specifically for achieving its mission and purpose and provides a complete statement of all the activities and programs by which all of the above is translated into a factual reality that can be measured and evaluated using key performance indicators. According to our financial resources and capabilities, these indicators will provide evidence of progress towards achieving our desired objectives over specific time frames.

The above approach and commitments used to guide the strategic plan’s development are firmly rooted in strategic thinking guided by practical standards and consistent requirements given the deep desire and purpose of the Secretariat General of the Academy to promote the International Islamic Fiqh Academy among leading global scholarly institutions, acclaimed for their clarity, sustainability, efficiency, creativity, and innovation; and based on its determination to enhance the performance of this renowned institution so that it becomes an epitome of excellence, discipline, transparency, integrity, ingenuity, and mastery.

The Secretariat General decided, in the wake of the Secretary General’s assumption of office on October 1, 2020, to put in place a comprehensive Strategic Plan for the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, in which the scientific standards of strategic thinking were used. Objectives and activities were aligned with the five S.M.A.R.T. criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to create an anchor on which to base our focus and decision-making. This Strategic Plan is well-defined, open to measurement and evaluation, applicable and relevant to the lived reality, and has fixed time frames.

This Strategic Plan’s primary objective is to bring about a notable change in the Academy’s performance, both structural and intellectual, and to strengthen coordination and improve the efficiency of activities, to enable the Academy to implement the vision and goals of the Muslim world leaders. These goals include formulating Shariah rulings on issues of concern to Muslims worldwide and providing a primary fiqh reference capable of delivering appropriate Shariah solutions to contemporary calamities and life problems.

These solutions are rooted in the Holy Qur’an, the Noble Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and the rich Islamic heritage, open to the development of Islamic thought and universal human heritage and culture, and which keep pace with contemporary life developments and the changes in intellectual, social, economic, cultural, and political conditions and circumstances.

My Lord! The formulation of this Five-Year Strategic Plan was not an easy task, nor was it a soft work, for its publication could not have been possible without the grace of Allah the Almighty, then the collaboration and partnership of the Academy’s officials, including the constructive ideas of brilliant minds from eminent universities and scientific centers. The editorial committee consisted of Dr. Abdel Fattah Mahmoud Abnaouf, Director of Planning and International Cooperation, Mrs. Sarah bint Amjad bin Hussein Badewi, Public Relations Supervisor, and Mr. Jawzi Belkacem Lardjane, Head of Translation Department.

The Secretariat General of the Academy is pleased – with Allah the Almighty’s grace – to present this Five-Year Strategic Plan, the first of the Academy, -after hundred (100) days of the current Secretary General’s assumption of office – to His Excellency Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and to His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah al-Humaid, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Imam Khatib at the Grand Mosque of Makkah, and President of the Academy. The Secretariat General is also pleased to present this Plan to Their Eminences, the members and experts of the Academy, and all those interested in and concerned with the future of this exceptional reference in Fiqh.

The Secretariat General of the Academy seeks to make this Strategic Plan the primary document of reference for the vision, mission, core values, objectives, procedures, activities, and programs of the Academy. The Academy aims to use the Strategic Plan as the primary reference for identifying the indicators used to assess the Academy’s performance and measure its progress and evolution at the end of each of the next five years – with Allah the Almighty’s will.

The Secretariat General of the Academy would like to acknowledge that there are four thousand and ninety-five (4,095) activities and programs in this strategic plan, for implementation in collaboration and partnership with the subsidiary and specialized organs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This also includes the specialized scientific and academic centers across the Muslim world and beyond. Activities and programs include twenty (20) international conferences, thirty (30) specialized scientific symposia, twenty (20) workshops, ninety-five (95) scientific conferences, the study and analysis of three hundred (300) issues and dilemmas, the publication and translation of thirty (330) studies and researches, and the signing of seven hundred and fifty (750) cooperation agreements and

memoranda of understanding, the compilation of comprehensive data on two thousand six hundred and fifty (2,650) jurisconsults (fiqh scholars), men and women, including institutions in the field of jurisprudence, humanities, social, natural and applied sciences. The approximate total budget for financing these activities and programs over the next five years is estimated at approximately seventy-five (75) million US dollars, at fifteen (15) million US dollars per year. Accordingly, the Secretariat General of the Academy will rely on the Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for additional support. The Secretariat General is also calling on its Member states to double their contributions to the annual budget of the Academy to complement the support and donations of states, foundations, organizations, and individual donors across the Muslim world and beyond through the Waqf Fund of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, which was established by a resolution of the OIC Ministerial Council in 2017, to receive donations and grants for the regular and consistent funding of the Academy’s activities and programs.

This Strategic Plan has been meticulously prepared by the Secretariat General of the Academy. Its contents and paragraphs are underpinned by the resolutions, recommendations, and statements issued by the Summits of the Muslim World Leaders and the Conferences of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Therefore, the Secretariat General of the Academy is sincerely honored to make the Strategic Plan available to all readers – after review and finalization – expecting that the Plan can constantly be reviewed and improved as is the case in human endeavors.

We have great expectations that this Strategic Plan will serve – with Allah the Almighty’s permission – as an appropriate basis for scholarly, jurisprudential, and intellectual achievements that are advanced, practical, and conscious of the developments of the modern world. The Strategic Plan will leverage the successive developments in our current reality and seize on the radical transformations taking place in communication and information technology to highlight the merits of Shariah, in an authentic and moderate way, elucidating its qualities and abilities to resolve contemporary life problems based on moderation, flexibility, ease, elimination of difficulties, objectivity, impartiality, Maqasid (objectives of Shariah), safeguarding public interests, considering the levels of legal evidence, rules of Ijtihad, finalities of actions, as well as methodological principles of legal deduction and inference, from which the Academy should not deviate even slightly.

Finally, we ask Allah the Most High to grant us sincerity in our words and deeds, help us achieve our aspirations, realize our efforts, and reward us with forgiveness on the Day of Judgment.

Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha SANO
Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy

This Strategic Plan is a comprehensive document that includes an overview of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy; it outlines the Academy’s vision, mission, core values, objectives, procedures, and activities. It details the process used to develop the most important activities, programs, and initiatives that the Academy intends to implement during the planned timelines. It also has performance indicators that can be measured and evaluated to achieve the planned objectives, including the Academy’s mission and vision. In this regard, it is necessary to begin by highlighting the vision, mission, core values, objectives, and procedures of the Academy that form the basis of the Strategic Plan.

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy’s vision is to become the first global jurisprudential reference for the Muslim world and Muslim communities and it is honored to be the only international fiqh authority whose scholars and experts emanate from recognized Islamic schools of law in the modern age.

Our strong hope is to see this Plan become a blueprint for introducing the Academy to States, organizations, foundations, and individuals and highlight the Academy’s scholarly and scientific position and responsibility in clarifying Shariah rulings

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) is a universal scholarly organization. It is a subsidiary organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It was established following a resolution at the Third Islamic Summit of the Organization (N.8/3-T/S-I) on 19th-22th Rabi al-Awal 1401H, corresponding to January 25th-28th, 1981. Its headquarter is in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Academy is endowed with a legal personality. Its members are eminent Muslim jurists, scholars, researchers, and intellectuals who specialize in jurisprudential, cultural, educational, scientific, economic, and social fields of knowledge from different parts of the Muslim world.

The Academy is entrusted with elucidating the rulings and provisions of Shariah on issues of concern to Muslims around the world, in full independence and based on the Holy Quran and the Noble Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). It also studies contemporary life issues, performing an authentic and effective Ijtihad, aiming at providing solutions stemming from Islamic heritage and open to the developments of Islamic thought.

For four decades and with the Almighty’s grace, the Academy has held twenty-four sessions that adopted resolutions concerning various contemporary issues, calamities, and developments. To date, it has issued two hundred and thirty eighty (238) resolutions.

The vision is a clear and precise future description of where the institution wants to be in the short term (5 years) or in the medium term (10 years), or in the long term (20 years) or more. The strategic vision of the Academy can therefore be summarized as follows:
“The Academy aims to become a leading global jurisprudential reference to which countries of the Muslim world and the Muslim communities will consult for clarification of the positions of Shariah (legal rulings) on issues of concern to Muslims and to provide appropriate solutions to contemporary life problems, derived from the Holy Qur’an, the Noble Prophetic Sunnah, and the rich Islamic heritage”.

The strategic mission of an institution refers to the summary of the most important objectives and aspirations for which it was established; hence the mission of the Academy can be summarized as follows:
“The Academy seeks to present Shariah in a moderate manner, emphasizing its merits and its full capacity to deal with the problems and issues of life and its capacity to help mankind achieve happiness, stability, peace, security, and safety in this life and beyond. This mission is based on a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the Islamic religion, its foundations, sources, objectives, principles, and provisions”.

The strategic values refer to ethical principles, rules of behavior and applicable regulations that govern and guide the institution’s operations and define its relationships. The achievement of the institution’s vision, mission, and objectives depends on the commitment to the core values of the Academy, which can be summarized as follows:

• Moderation: avoiding all forms of religious extremism, excess, and lack of care in thought and behavior, which also involves applying moderation, flexibility, openness, and balance in the relationship with the other.
• Discipline: fully adhering to the laws and regulations that govern work in the Academy and define authorities and responsibilities while respecting the terms of reference and administrative hierarchy.
• Transparency: commitment to integrity, honesty, clarity, and fairness in words, actions, and behavior, and avoidance of all forms of corruption, ambiguity, and obscurity.
• Justice: avoiding injustice and inequity, putting things in their proper positions, and giving everyone their own right by totally avoiding prejudice and favoritism.
• Equity: commitment to justice in the treatment of others by respecting rights and conferring them to their due holders, mitigating injustice, and prohibiting aggression.
• Creativity and Innovation: promoting work and improving performance by coming up with new ideas that achieve the best results and finding quick solutions to developments and changes in the work environment.
• Productivity: working hard to accomplish as many activities and tasks as possible in as little time as possible through dedication, focus, and perseverance.
• Cooperation and Integration: solidarity, synergy, support, and mutual assistance among workers to achieve the desired results by implementing activities and programs.
• Excellence: the performance of tasks and the optimization of functions within the given time frame while respecting the specifications and standards required to achieve the objectives and finalities.
• Accomplishment: commitment to precision, accuracy, ingenuity, and resourcefulness in the performance of tasks and responsibilities to achieve the vision, mission, and objectives with ease and flexibility.

The Academy’s vision depicts an ambitious future and its mission a summary of the most important objectives. The strategic objectives are therefore a set of outcomes that the institution seeks to accomplish through multiple and diverse programs, activities, and initiatives to fulfill the mission and the vision. Based on this understanding, the objectives of the Academy are set to achieve the following outcomes:

• To achieve intellectual harmony and integration between jurists from recognized schools of Islamic jurisprudence and experts in the field of human, social, natural, and applied sciences to elucidate the positions of Shariah towards contemporary life issues.
• To promote collective Ijtihad (Ijtihad jama’e) on contemporary life questions and issues, to elaborate Shariah-based solutions, and clarify valid preferences among several legal opinions on the same issue, in accordance with the interests of Muslims -whether individuals, communities, or States – and in complete harmony with the legal arguments and ultimate purposes of Shariah.
• To coordinate between authorities of Ifta and institutions of jurisprudence inside and outside the Muslim world to avoid contradictions and hostilities between opinions on the same issue, especially on general issues that may cause conflicts.
• To reject denominational intolerance, religious fanaticism, and excommunication of Islamic doctrines and their followers by spreading the essence of moderation, openness, and tolerance among the followers of different schools of law and sects.
• To refute baseless fatwas that negate Islamic principles, established rules of Ijtihad, and scholarly Islamic schools of law without giving any recognized evidence.
• To provide Shariah rulings on subjects arising from the lived reality to facilitate the development of legislations, laws, and regulations in line and harmony with the provisions of Shariah.
• To express Shariah opinions directly when requested and translate them into the lived reality revolving around the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah, and on the documents issued by the OIC, international Islamic and non-Islamic organizations.
• To issue fatwas to Muslim communities and organizations outside the Muslim world in a way that would preserve the values of Islam, its culture, and traditions, which also aims at protecting their Islamic identity, with due respect to the essentials of citizenship and residence in non-Muslim societies.
• To promote cooperation, rapprochement, and complementarity between scholars of different schools of law regarding the fundamental principles of religion, reinforcement commonalities, respect of differences, and maintaining ethics of the jurisprudence of divergence while giving due weight to the opinions of the different schools of law when the Academy issues fatwas and resolutions.
• To renew the science of Islamic jurisprudence by developing it from within and through the rules of legal deduction, principles, rules, and objectives of Shariah.
• To conduct constructive inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, in collaboration with the Secretariat General of the OIC, to cooperate for the benefit of humanity.

The objectives are the finalities and outcomes that the institution aims to achieve, while the means represent the mechanisms, activities, and programs used to reach those outcomes. The Academy adopts many means, namely:

• Issuing resolutions and fatwas on issues of concern to Muslims, translating them into contemporary languages and disseminating them as widely as possible to encourage embracing the Islamic approach of moderation and temperance, which shall protect Muslims from fanaticism, extremism, negligence, and unreliable opinions.
• Organizing specialized scientific conferences and symposia to discuss specific issues or problematic or multidisciplinary topics which require jurisprudential research and discussion on a broader scale than usually provided by the Academy Council’s meetings.
• Providing jurisprudential advice over documents issued by the OIC or any other Islamic or non-Islamic organizations whenever the Academy is requested to do so.
• Establishing a directory of Ifta authorities and councils and jurisprudential institutions and academies inside and outside the Muslim world, with the view to identifying entities and bodies with which the Academy may cooperate and coordinate relations.
• Establishing centers for Islamic studies in some of the focal areas outside the Muslim world; collaborating with existing centers to promote the Academy’s objectives, monitor publications on Islam in their regions, and refute any misrepresentation of Islam.
• Publishing comprehensive jurisprudential encyclopedias that address contemporary issues in various areas of life and focus on matters discussed in jurisprudence treatises. These publications should be formulated in a language accessible to the culturally and media literate public.
• Encouraging jurisprudential research about contemporary challenges, new developments, and current issues through the divisions and committees of the Academy in cooperation with universities and other academic institutions regarding contemporary life problems, challenges, and latest issues.
• Drafting model laws in various areas (in the three official languages) that require the codification of Shariah provisions, taking into consideration differences between schools of law, and ensuring their translation and dissemination throughout the Muslim world for easy reference in the amendment process of existing legislations, laws, and regulations.
• Reviving the Islamic jurisprudence heritage, with particular emphasis on the books dealing with the fundamentals of jurisprudence, the ultimate purposes of Shariah, jurisprudence and comparative jurisprudence; publishing unpublished works in the above fields after examining them; and translating the classics of this type of heritage into major Muslim world languages and beyond.
• Elaborating a comprehensive dictionary of Islamic jurisprudence and fundamentals of jurisprudence terms (in the three official languages), defining each term accurately and precisely while expressing meanings in a simple and intelligible language.
• Publishing the Academy’s works, resolutions, and fatwas, and the most significant research presented therein, in the Academy’s scientific journal and on its website, and publicize and translate them into important Muslim world languages and beyond.
• Seeking assistance from experts specializing in various scientific and applied fields to study and research the topics submitted to the Academy.
• Publishing a peer-reviewed journal based on firm scientific principles to serve research and studies on issues related to Shariah and Islamic jurisprudence, and in which some of the research of scholars and academics in these fields will be published.

In conclusion, it is necessary to identify the bodies and agencies responsible for implementing the activities and programs stipulated in this Plan. To this end, the Secretariat General of the Academy has created the following departments and divisions:

• The Department of Cabinet and Protocols comprises three divisions, namely: Protocols Division, Translation Division, and Legal Affairs Division.
• The Department of Planning and International Cooperation comprises three divisions, namely: Planning and Development Division, International Cooperation and External Relations Division, and Archiving, Follow-up and Correction Division.
• The Department of the Family, Woman, Childhood and Elderly Affairs, comprises three divisions, namely: Woman Affairs Division, Youth and Childhood Affairs Division, and Elderly and Disabled Affairs Division.
• The Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs comprises three divisions, namely: Administrative and Training Affairs Division, Financial and Accounting Affairs Division, and Warehouse and Library Division.
• The Department of Media, Public Relations and Information and Communication Technology comprises three divisions, namely: Media Division, Public Relations Division, Information and Communication Technology Division.
• The Department of Finance, Investment and Projects Affairs comprises three divisions, namely: Waqf Division, Finance and Investment Division, and Projects Division.
• The Department of Research, Studies, Fatwa, Encyclopedias and Printing, comprises three divisions, namely: Research and Encyclopedias Division, Studies and Fatwa Division, and Printing and Publishing Division.
• The Department of Sessions, Conferences and Seminars comprises three divisions, namely: Sessions Division, Conferences and Seminars Division, and Workshops and Public Lectures Division.

The availability of the necessary funding, in terms of quantity, quality, and time, remains a fundamental factor because the implementation of the Strategic Plan’s activities and programs and the achievement of its objectives depend on the availability of a permanent resource to cover the budget necessary for the timely implementation of the activities and programs.

Since its inception four decades ago, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy has enjoyed the support of the OIC Member states through their mandatory contributions to the Academy’s annual budget. Notwithstanding, the Secretariat General of the Academy seizes this opportunity to appeal to the honorable Member States to graciously consider increasing their fixed mandatory contributions to finance this Strategic Plan. The Academy also appeals to governments, organizations, foundations, and individual donors worldwide, to make donations and grants in cash and in kind to its Waqf Fund. The Academy Waqf Fund was established by the Ministerial Council of OIC Foreign Ministers at OIC’s Forty-Fourth Session in Abidjan, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, in 2017, by decree No.44/6F, in order to become the permanent resource whose income and proceeds are devoted to the activities and programs of the Academy.

The Academy Waqf Fund was established by the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to receive all types of donations and grants in cash and in kind from States, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. The Waqf Fund is supervised by a Board of Trustees chaired by His Excellency Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It is also composed of the following members:

• His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Imam Khatib at the Grand Mosque of Makkah, and President of the Academy.
• His Excellency Professor Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy.
• His Excellency Dr. Bandar bin Muhammad Hamzah Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group.
• His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Mutlaq, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Haddad, Grand Mufti of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• His Eminence Prof. Abdullah Mabrouk Al-Najjar, Member of the Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar University, Arab Republic of Egypt.
• His Eminence Prof. Yusuf bin Abdullah Al-Shubaily, Professor at the Higher Judicial Institute of Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Supervisory Board, which is responsible for overseeing the Academy’s Waqf Fund, is composed of the following members:

• His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court, Member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Imam Khatib at the Grand Mosque of Makkah, and President of the Academy.
• His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Muhammad Ali, Honorary President of the Islamic Development Bank in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• His Excellency Professor Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy.
• His Eminence Dr. Sami Suwailem, Acting Director of the Islamic Development Bank’s Islamic Research and Training Institute.
• His Eminence Dr. Youssef Hassan Khalawi, Secretary-General of the Islamic Chamber of Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• His Eminence Dr. Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Atram, Chairman of the Shariah Board of Inma Bank in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• His Eminence Dr. Omar Zuhair Hafez, former Secretary-General of the General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions.

Finally, the Secretariat General of the Academy looks forward to the support of the Secretariats General of Waqf institutions worldwide towards the Academy Waqf Fund. Also, the Secretariat General looks forward to entering into strategic partnerships and collaborative agreements with States, governments, organizations, and foundations wishing to participate in the planning and funding of the Strategic Plan of the Academy within and outside the Muslim world.

May Allah reward all those who will contribute in any way to making this plan a factual reality and an achievable aspiration, with the permission of the Most High, the Almighty.

Since the Strategic Plan is based on monitoring of the most important activities and programs through which the specified objectives are achieved,

Given the urgent methodological, objective, and operational need to formulate clear performance indicators that represent quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the extent to which the International Islamic Fiqh Academy can accomplish the activities and programs of its Strategic Plan through the realization of the objectives, mission, and then vision,

Considering the importance of setting specific time frames for implementing the activities and programs, ranging from the short-term (i.e., five years), to the medium-term (i.e., ten years), to the long-term (i.e., twenty years).

Therefore, this chapter includes a precise presentation of activities, programs, and initiatives and a clear definition of short-term performance indicators for the next five years.

This chapter also identifies the implementing bodies and a specification of the proposed budget for each activity and program, underlining that the Academy will collaborate for the implementation of these activities and programs with the subsidiary and specialized organs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and with other regional or international organizations, foundations, and centers.

Achieve intellectual harmony and integration between jurists from recognized schools of Islamic jurisprudence and experts in the field of human, social, natural, and applied sciences to elucidate the positions of Shariah towards contemporary life issues.

Promote collective Ijtihad (Ijtihad jama’e) on contemporary life questions and issues, to elaborate Shariah-based solutions and clarify valid preferences among several legal opinions on the same issue, in accordance with the interests of Muslims -whether individuals, communities, or States- and in complete harmony with the legal arguments and ultimate purposes of Shariah.

Coordinate between authorities of Ifta and institutions of jurisprudence inside and outside the Muslim world to avoid contradictions and hostilities between opinions on the same issue, especially on general topics that may cause conflicts

Reject denominational intolerance, religious fanaticism, and exclusion of other Islamic doctrines and their followers through spreading the spirit of moderation, openness, and tolerance among the followers of different schools of law and sects.

Refute baseless fatwas that negate Islamic principles, established rules of Ijtihad, and scholarly Islamic schools
of law without giving any recognized evidence.

Provide Shariah rulings on subjects arising from the lived reality to facilitate the development of legislations, laws, and regulations in line and harmony with the provisions of Shariah.

Express Shariah opinions directly when requested and translate them into the lived reality revolving around the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah, and on the documents issued by the OIC, international Islamic and non-Islamic organizations

Issue fatwas to Muslim communities and organizations outside the Muslim world to preserve the values of Islam, its culture, and traditions, which also aims at protecting their Islamic identity, with due respect to the essentials of citizenship and residence in non-Muslim societies.

Promote cooperation, rapprochement, and complementarity between scholars of different schools of law regarding the fundamental principles of religion, reinforcement commonalities, respect of differences, and maintaining ethics of the jurisprudence of divergence while giving due weight to the opinions of the different schools of law when the Academy issues fatwas and resolutions.

Renew the science of Islamic jurisprudence by developing it from within and through the rules of legal deduction, principles, rules, and objectives of Shariah.

To onduct constructive interreligious and intercultural dialogue to foster cooperation for the benefit of humanity
and coordinated with the OIC Secretariat General.

This conclusion includes a summary of the figures concerning the activities and programs that the International Islamic Fiqh Academy is committed to organize and implement during the next five years, with Allah the Almighty’s will.
The Secretariat General of the Academy is aware of the scale of these activities and programs – quality and quantity – and the extent of their financial, managerial, and human implications.
Accordingly, the Secretariat General of the Academy reiterates its full readiness and willingness to coordinate and collaborate with academic and scientific institutions and centers worldwide to implement these activities and programs.
The Secretariat General of the Academy is confident – as usual – of the moral and financial support of the OIC Member States, as well as other organizations, foundations, and individual donors to finance this ambitious Plan and to enable the Academy to achieve its mission and vision in the best possible way, with Allah the Almighty’s will.