A high-ranking official has stated that the UAE Council for Fatwa's International Conference is set to usher in innovative and adaptable approaches in alignment with Islamic Sharia principles. It will chart a course for issuing religious edicts (fatwas) related to advancements in science and technology.

Commencing on Tuesday and graced by the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, and chaired by Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the Council, the two-day conference is themed 'Towards Shari’a Conceptualization of Scientific Developments: Civilisational Methodology, Real-World Applications, and Ethics of Sustainability.'

The event will include a special session titled 'Towards a disciplined and sustainable methodology that engages with human needs' and will facilitate discussions on emerging matters in medicine, family, the environment, ethics in sustainability, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Omar Habtoor Al Darei, Director General of the UAE Council for Fatwa, highlighted that the conference was initiated in response to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's declaration of 2023 as the 'Year of Sustainability.' It aims to address pressing issues posed by scientific progress, which are among the most significant contemporary challenges necessitating deliberation among Sharia scholars and experts in various natural sciences. These issues encompass matters like heart transplantation from a pig into a human, human genomics, infant nutrition through milk banks, autonomous robots, microchip implants, and big data trading.

Dr. Al Darei described the conference as a scientific platform and an annual collaborative dialogue, emphasizing the amalgamation of ideas, consultations, and cooperation between experts and specialists. It goes beyond religious opinions by inviting contributions from scientific and interdisciplinary partners to provide their empirical insights on these subjects and then merge them with legitimate viewpoints.

He noted that the Council's inaugural conference in 2020 on 'Emergency Jurisprudence' provided answers to religious queries related to the Covid-19 pandemic and offered Sharia-compliant solutions for handling the pandemic's challenges.

This year's conference, according to Dr. Al Darei, is an extension of the discourse on fatwas concerning scientific developments. It is part of a qualitative series of conferences dedicated to examining these issues from a religious perspective, taking into account the challenges and opportunities presented by changes in various fields, such as space, climate, environment, medicine, digitization, and the ubiquitous presence of artificial intelligence in our lives.

The conference's vision centers on crafting proactive fatwa solutions that address scientific developments in light of current challenges and societal contexts.

Over 160 scholars, intellectuals, and scientific figures from more than 50 countries, as well as 71 fatwa bodies from around the world, will participate in the event. Represented at the conference will be medical, legal, and technical institutions, universities, and AI authorities. It will feature more than 50 discussions, and over 60 research papers will be published following the conference.

Dr. Al Darei emphasized that the conference will strive to formulate new fatwas resulting from scholarly deliberation that integrates scientific expertise across various domains. It aims to be an annual forum for discussing contemporary issues following a well-established methodology, fostering dialogue between religious scholars, scientists, experts, diverse institutions, and natural sciences.

The desired outcomes of the conference include the exchange of knowledge and expertise among various fatwa and Sharia institutions, supporting scientific research, and creating a scholarly and scientific reference point to foster collaboration and coordination in this field.