The Seminar on "The Sunnah and its Methodology for Structuring Knowledge and Civilization" Amman, Jordan Dhu al Qi'dah 15-18, 1409/June 19-22, 1989

Abstract

The Seminar on "The Sunnah and its Methodology for Structuring
Knowledge and Civilization" was held as the Seventh General Assembly of
the Jordanian Royal Academy for Islamic Civilizational Research (The Aal
Al-Bayt Foundation), and in coopertion with the IIIT of Washington, D.C.
One hundred and twenty six Muslim scholars took part in the Seminar.
The Discussions:
The Seminar revolved around three axes. The first included an overview
of previous Sunnah conferences and seminars. The second encompassed current
efforts in compiling and serving the Sunn.ah in the spheres of publication,
exacting research, explanation, epitomization; and in whatever pertains to
compilation, indexing, and the utilization of computers in classification. The
third axis. which included the presentation of nine papers with two
commentaries on each, dealt with the main topic of the Seminar, namely,
the explication of the Sunnah. the methodology of utilizing it in argumentation,
and the precepts and methods involved therein; the means of comprehending
it and dealing with it in the past and present; and the refutation of the allegations
made against it. The presentations and commentaries spoke of the Sunnah
as a source of knowledge, Islamic legislation, and education-emphaS'izing
its role in international law and its function in erecting the Ummah's
cultural/inteUectual edifice, and civilization.
In addition, three reports on the use of computers in the service of the
Sunnah were presented at the Seminar. The participants were also informed
of the efforts of a number of foundations actively serving the Sunnah in different
parts of the world.
There were widespread discussions in the Seminar emphasizing the
importance of the noble Sunnah, since it is the Qur'an and the Sunnah which
constitute the two main sources of Shari'ah. Together, both sources should
be adopted as the cornerstone in building contemporary Islamic life, and
as a foundation for the Islamization of the Hwnanities and the Social Sciences
that would depend on two sources of knowledge: revelation and reason ...