Islamic research department holds session on preaching reform

The Islamic Research and Studies Department at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs concluded the third cultural season of the Ummah Seminar, with its fourth and final scholarly session on pathways to reforming in Islamic preaching.The event was attended by HE Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem along with a group of scholars, preachers, and academic specialists in religious and intellectual affairs.The seminar was held at Imam Muhammad bin Abdulwahhab Mosque and focused on how collective religious duties (furood kifayah) can be utilised to renew Islamic discourse and enhance its role in social reform. Participants included Dr Ali al-Ajmi al-Ashi, who serves as chair of curriculum and academic programmes in the Department of Creed and Dawah at Qatar University's College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, Professor of Hadith Sciences at Qatar University's College of Sharia and Islamic Studies Dr. Adel Amin al-Harazi, and imam and preacher at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Dr. Yahya Batti Al Nuaimi.In his opening speech, Director of the Islamic Research and Studies Department Sheikh Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ghanem al-Thani, emphasised that calling to God is one of the highest forms of devotion and the path of the prophets and righteous. He explained that the aim of the seminar was to revive and activate the concept of collective duties in religious outreach, as a means to address imbalances in the dawah field. He added that this initiative is a response to rapid intellectual and cultural changes requiring a thoughtful reformist vision.Dr al-Ashi emphasised that furood kifayah serve as a key element in building the collective awareness of the Muslim ummah. He argued that mainstreaming this concept within society is a fundamental route to reforming Islamic preaching. His recommendations included integrating furood kifayah into educational and dawah curricula, training qualified preachers, and supporting collective projects that embody these duties within a holistic framework.Dr al-Nuaimi focused on the future of Islamic preaching and its effectiveness in contemporary societies. He argued that overcoming the challenges of Islamic discourse requires institutional organisation and the application of fiqh al awlawiyyat (jurisprudence of priorities).He concluded by affirming that institutional religious work helps organise efforts, unify energies, and meet societal needs, bringing to life the unity of the Muslim ummah in a tangible way.