“Imam al-Awza’i: The Jurist and Hadith Scholar of Beirut, His Humanitarian and Conviviality Thought”
Organized by the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Makassed University of Beirut
On Friday and Saturday, November 29-30, 2024
The conference aims to highlight the humanistic and civilizational values inherent in the Arab-Islamic heritage, while also introducing younger generations to the key figures who have played a pivotal role in shaping its intellectual foundation, with a commitment to preserving religious diversity. This event honors the substantial scholarly contributions of Imam al-Awza’i, a distinguished scholar of Beirut and a staunch advocate of religious diversity. We cordially invite your participation in this conference, with the aim of illuminating the unique aspects of his scholarly legacy, his profound influence on early Islamic jurisprudence, and his commitment to fostering a spirit of conviviality and coexistence.
Conference Themes:
- The life of Imam al-Awza’i and the characteristics of his personality.
- The thought of Imam al-Awza’i.
- Imam al-Awza’i as a Hadith scholar.
- Imam al-Awza’i as a jurist.
- The legal school of Imam al-Awza’i: its emergence, characteristics, and decline.
- Imam al-Awza’i as a pioneer of coexistence.
- The moral and social legacy of Imam al-Awza’i in Beirut.
Venue: Makassed University, Beirut
Date: November 29-30, 2024
Conference Chair: Dr. Hassan Ghaziri
Conference General Secretary: Dr. Hilal Darwish
Scientific Committee:
- Dr. Ridwan al-Sayyid – Islamic Thinker
- Dr. Mohammad Sammak – Islamic Thinker
- Dr. Sheikh Wafiq Hijazi – Mufti of Rashaya, Lebanon
- Dr. Idris al-Fihri al-Fasi – University of Al-Qarawiyyin, Morocco
- Dr. Mohammad al-Shattiyawi – University of Zaytuna, Tunisia
- Dr. Aziza al-Hibri – University of Richmond, USA
- Dr. Roula Talhouk – Saint Joseph University, Lebanon
- Dr. Al-Mu’tasim Billah al-Baghdadi – Makassed University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Dr. Sari Hanafi – American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Dr. Majid Darwish – Lebanese University, Lebanon
- Dr. Khaled Faqih – Makassed University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Dr. Ahmad al-Zoubi – Saint Joseph University, Lebanon
- Dr. Roua Nagy – Lebanese University, Lebanon
- Dr. Elias al-Halabi – University of Balamand, Lebanon
Participation Guidelines:
- The research paper must be in either Arabic or English.
- The paper should address one of the conference’s themes.
- Researchers should submit an abstract of no more than 700 words by Saturday, September 28, 2024, including the research title, objectives, outline, and main content.
- Abstracts and papers must be typed in “Word” using the “Simplified Arabic 16” font.
- Researchers must adhere to academic research standards in terms of objectivity, methodology, presentation, documentation, and referencing.
- A brief CV should accompany the abstract.
- Abstracts and research papers will undergo scientific review.
Deadlines:
- Submission of abstracts with a brief CV: Saturday, September 28, 2024
- Notification of accepted abstracts: Saturday, October 12, 2024
- Final submission of research papers: Saturday, November 23, 2024
- Conference dates: Friday and Saturday, November 29-30, 2024
Conference Languages: Arabic and English
Submission Address:
yousra.elsolh@mub.edu.lb
Travel and Accommodation:
For participating professors from outside Lebanon: The conference administration will welcome them at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, arrange their accommodation in hotels, provide meals during the conference, and cover transportation related to the conference activities. Airfare to and from Beirut is the responsibility of the participant.
For professors residing in Lebanon: The conference administration will provide meals during the conference period.
Documentation Guidelines:
- Use the APA 6th edition citation style.
- Font type: Simplified Arabic.
- Font size: 16 Bold for main titles.
- Font size: 14 Regular for subheadings.
- Font size: 14 Regular for the body text.
- Line spacing: 1.15 cm.
- Chapter and section titles should be centered.
- Subheadings should be aligned to the right of the page.
- Keywords should be included after the abstract.
About Imam al-Awza’i:
Imam al-Awza’i, the jurist and hadith scholar Abdul Rahman ibn Amr ibn Yahmad al-Awza’i, was a leading scholar of the Levant and the first to document knowledge there. He was born in Baalbek in 88 AH / 707 CE, traveled in search of knowledge, and studied under the most prominent scholars of his time. He began issuing fatwas at the age of 25 in 113 AH / 732 CE and authored numerous books. Imam al-Awza’i reached a high rank in Islamic jurisprudence, addressing 70,000 issues, with 60,000 recorded from him. Imam Malik once retracted his own fatwa in favor of al-Awza’i’s, acknowledging, “Al-Awza’i is correct!” Imam al-Dhahabi praised him for his unique and valuable opinions, and Ibn Hibbaan described him as one of the world’s leading scholars in jurisprudence, knowledge, piety, and virtue. Imam al-Awza’i passed away in Beirut in 157 AH / 774 CE, where his funeral saw a large turnout from Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Copts. He left a significant scholarly legacy and played a remarkable commitment to fostering a spirit of conviviality and coexistence, which this conference aims to explore and apply to contemporary issues.
