Doha: The Department of Islamic Research and Studies at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs organized the third seminar in its fourth season of the "Ummah Seminar" cultural project, held this season under the theme "Knowledge of Revelation," at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque.
According to Qatar News Agency, the seminar was attended by HE Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem, along with a number of researchers, preachers, and specialists, featuring participation of a select group of academics and researchers from the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies at Qatar University. The seminar, titled "Knowledge of Revelation: The Certain Source of the Laws of Human Society," explored the horizons and dimensions of understanding revelation as the definitive reference for comprehending the divine laws governing human and societal behavior, and the resulting civilizational awareness and future vision.
In his opening remarks, Sheikh Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ghanem Al-Thani, Director of the Department of Islamic Research and Studies, stated that understanding the laws governing human society is a crucial step towards the advancement of the Muslim community. He emphasized that divine revelation is the definitive source for the principles of these laws, while reason serves as the tool for comprehension and deduction. He explained that the seminar aims to explore the horizons and the human psyche to understand the future of the Muslim community through the lens of these laws.
He further noted that the "Ummah Seminar" is a significant cultural activity undertaken within the framework of the Ministry's commitment to promoting and disseminating knowledge rooted in and derived from divine revelation. He noted that the seminar is essentially a quarterly intellectual and scholarly cultural project organized by the Department, bringing together leading thinkers and experts to discuss intellectual issues and cultural challenges, explore appropriate solutions to social problems, and address the most pressing negative phenomena affecting individuals, communities, and the Muslim world.
The seminar featured presentations by Dr. Ramadan Khamis Zaki Abdel-Tawab, Professor of Tafsir and Quranic Sciences at the Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies; Dr. Mahmoud Nimr Al Naffar, Assistant Professor at the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies; and Dr. Aziz Al-Batwi, Head of the Research and Studies Unit at the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies.
In the first session, Dr. Ramadan Khamis Zaki Abdel-Tawab presented a scholarly paper titled "Knowledge of Revelation: Certainty of Source and Principles of Divine Laws." He addressed three main issues: the laws governing the human soul, the universe, and the features of human society; the laws governing the understanding of revelation and the lessons learned from historical experience; and Quranic stories as lessons and examples of the laws of decline and resurgence.
In the second session, Dr. Mahmoud Nimr Al Naffar discussed "The Mind as a Tool for Understanding, Comprehension, and Effective Application of Divine Laws." He presented a broad intellectual framework addressing the cycle of divine laws, from their formation to their application, as an integrated epistemological process that explains the movement of humanity and society in light of divine laws.
The seminar concluded with a presentation by Dr. Aziz Al-Batwi on a rational approach to uncovering the laws governing human society and their impact on deepening our understanding of divine revelation. He gave a profound scholarly analysis of these laws as a methodological framework for understanding human and societal dynamics, and as a key to deepening our understanding of divine revelation and anticipating the future.
At the seminar's conclusion, the speakers emphasized the necessity of reviving the study of divine laws as an intellectual and institutional project that contributes to guiding awareness, understanding reality, and restoring the nation's civilizational role. The seminar, "Knowledge of Divine Revelation as the Certain Source of the Laws of Human Society," is one of the initiatives of the Ummah Seminar Series, organized and supervised by the Department of Islamic Research and Studies. This series reflects the department's commitment to fostering intellectual and cultural discourse and promoting a culture of scholarly and intellectual seminars, recognizing their significant contribution to enriching Qatar's cultural landscape.