Amman, Mar. 6 (Petra)-- Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Nayef on Friday attended the 122nd session of the Hashemite Scientific Councils, held under the theme "Scholarly Consensus: A Safeguard Against Deviation." The third council for this year took place at the Islamic Cultural Center Hall of the King Abdullah I Mosque, where Chief Islamic Justice Abdul Hafiz Rabta, and Head of the Religious Sector at Egypt’s Ministry of Endowments, El-Sayed Hussein Abdel Bari, delivered keynote remarks.
Rabtah stressed the importance of scholarly consensus (ijma) as a mechanism for regulating independent legal reasoning and preventing irregular or deviant opinions. He noted that consensus serves as a unifying reference point when differences arise, making it one of the most important factors in preserving religion, stabilizing Islamic legal rulings, and maintaining the unity of the Muslim community especially amid what he described as a growing proliferation of unqualified religious opinions in modern times.
For his part, Abdel Bari said that consensus embodies the collective methodology of Islamic legal reasoning and highlights the institutional nature of Islamic jurisprudence. He added that it prevents individual monopolization of opinion and reflects the accumulated scholarly expertise of Muslim jurists. He also emphasized that consensus acts as a supreme reference in addressing emerging issues and contemporary challenges, thereby safeguarding the scientific and juris prudential identity of Muslims throughout history.
The Hashemite Scientific Councils are an annual Jordanian tradition organized by the Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs during the holy month of Ramadan under royal patronage. The councils aim to promote moderate Islamic thought, strengthen enlightened religious discourse, and discuss contemporary issues with the participation of scholars and thinkers from Jordan and other Muslim countries.
The session was attended by Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Yousef Hassan Al-Issawi, Royal Hashemite Court imam Ahmad Al-Khalayleh, along with a number of officials, muftis, Sharia judges, imams, and female preachers.
//Petra// MF
