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The Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore, organized a National Conference on “Islamic Studies: State of Teaching and Research in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs)” at the University Campus today. Heads and Professors of Departments of Islamic Studies in private and public sector universities of Pakistan and post-graduate colleges gathered to reflect on and discuss issues, problems and reformative measures in education and research of Islamic Studies in HEIs of Pakistan. The main objective of the Conference is to revisit teaching and research of Islamic Studies in HEIs.
Dr Muhammad al-Ghazali, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Sharia Apellate Bench and Professor, Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad, gave the keynote address. He said that teachers and researchers of Islamic studies should be well equipped with modern knowledge. He added that the status of Imam and Khateeb demands an intellectual and spiritual approach but unfortunately Pakistan is lacking in this aspect. He advised the teachers and researchers of Islamic studies to rely on self analysis and take the initiative towards reform without concerning themselves about attaining status in the educational hierarchy.
In his opening address, Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector UMT, emphasized the need for integration of modern disciplines with traditional Islamic Studies. He said that teachers and researchers of Islamic Studies bear a huge responsibility to rise to the occasion as the Muslim world is facing enormous challenges at ideological and practical levels. Dr Hasan added that the role of researchers in the field of Islamic Studies has become increasingly important because in present times they have to come up with solutions to the internal problems of the Muslims and have to respond to the foreign ideological invasion. In contemporary scenario he said, only an inter-disciplinary approach equipped with modern sociological thought and strong knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah would work. On an important note, Dr Hasan said there is a real need to rely more on the ijtihadist approach.
Justice Khalil-ur-Rahman, Judge (R) Supreme Court, former Rector International Islamic University, Islamabad, concluded the inaugural session.
Earlier, Dr Muhammad Amin, Chairman, Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization, UMT, welcomed the distinguished guests from across Pakistan. He described the objectives of organizing the Conference and hoped that the convergence of Islamic Studies teachers and researchers at UMT would lead to meaningful idea exchange.
The two-day National Conference comprises of six sessions; 4 working sessions in addition to inaugural and opening sessions. It will conclude tomorrow after two days of deliberations, discussions and discourse by teachers, researchers and scholars from all over Pakistan.
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