Hosted by the Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture (IİKV), the “2nd International Symposium on the Exegesis of Āfāqī and Anfusī Verses: Historical Process, Contemporary Critique, and Future Projections” came to an end with closing speeches after two days of intensive and productive sessions.
In the symposium, which was held with the participation of numerous scholars from Turkey and various countries around the world, the interpretation of kevnî verses was discussed within historical, methodological, and contemporary frameworks.
“A Scholarly Remedy Against the Misinformation Faced by Young People”
Speaking at the closing of the symposium, Prof. Dr. Ammar Jidal emphasized that the meeting carries great importance particularly in producing answers to the intellectual problems that today’s youth are confronted with.
Jidal stated that the high-level ilmī tablīgh presented at the symposium offered ṣaḥīḥ and convincing answers to the harmful information that occupies mind of young people.
Jidal noted that competent scholars from different disciplines of Islamic sciences coming together and cooperating enables the production of strong solutions against negative intellectual currents, and he stated that in this process it is necessary to renew the intellectual and communicative style of conveying the message in accordance with the requirements of the age.
Emphasizing that this responsibility belongs especially to scholars, Jidal stated that he believes the 13th Bediuzzaman Said Nursî Symposium, titled “Qur’anic Solutions to Global Crises,” which is planned to be organized next year by IİKV, will make significant contributions to these issues.
He stated that the ultimate goal of this gathering, which will host scholars from all around the world, is to offer paths of salvation to a humanity in distress.
“Every Ālim Should Leave His Own Fingerprint in His Field”
Taking the floor during the closing session, Prof. Dr. Muhammed Bourbab emphasized the instructive nature of the meeting and offered a hopeful perspective regarding the future of Islam.
Bourbab stated that every ālim must leave his own distinctive contribution and mark in his ilmī field of study.
Referring to a ḥadīth al-sharīf (noble prophetic tradition), Bourbab stated that there will remain no household to which the message of Islam will not reach; and drawing from the fact that every person in the world possesses a unique fingerprint, he expressed that every ālim must likewise bear an original signature in his ilmī production.
He concluded his speech by expressing his thanks to IİKV and to all who contributed.
“The Tablīghs Will Be Published as a Book, Hope to Meet Next Year in Aleppo”
Evaluating the conclusion of the symposium, Prof. Dr. Celaleddin Hancı stated that the meetings were highly beneficial and that qualified tablīghs were presented.
Hancı stated that had more time been allocated to the discussion sections, the program would have been even richer; nevertheless, he said that the symposium was extremely productive from an ‘ilmī perspective.
Stating that all the tablīghs presented are planned to be published as a independent book, Hancı announced that the institution he represents, Dārü’l-I‘jāz, has decided to move its headquarters from Istanbul back to Aleppo, and that they aim to repeat the same meeting in Aleppo next year.
He also expressed the institution’s expectations for material and spiritual support due to its current circumstances.
Scholarly Cooperation and Hope for the Future
The symposium, which concluded with closing speeches, once again revealed the importance that scholarly cooperation carries in producing Qur’ān-centered solutions to contemporary problems.
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