The participation of the Secretary-General of Areed International University in the Third International Jurisprudential Conference on “Contemporary Juristic Ijtihad.”
Dr. Saif Yousef Al-Suwaidi, Secretary-General of Areed International University for Graduate Studies, participated in the Third International Jurisprudential Conference, held on Saturday and Sunday, June 28–29, 2025. The conference was jointly organized by the World League of Jurists and the Eritrean Scholars Association.
Dr. Al-Suwaidi presented a research paper entitled “Juristic Ijtihad in the Digital Age: An Analytical Reading of Emerging Terminology.” The paper addressed new terms that have come to the forefront of contemporary jurisprudential discourse in light of the digital revolution, including:
Automated ijtihad
Digital fatwa
Digital waqf (endowment)
Jurisprudential algorithms
Collaborative digital ijtihad
Dr. Al-Suwaidi emphasized that these concepts have become essential for understanding the relationship between Islamic Sharia and modern technology. He also presented key recommendations for the conference, أبرزها:
1. The necessity of establishing sound Sharia-based foundations for these terms and clarifying the regulations governing them.
2. Launching a digital encyclopedia of jurisprudential terminology to serve as an authoritative reference for researchers and jurists.
3. Opening avenues for collective, technology-based ijtihad through interactive platforms that bring together experts in both Sharia and technology.
In a statement, Dr. Al-Suwaidi explained that his participation in the conference was a natural extension of his ongoing efforts to integrate religious knowledge with technology, particularly given his interest and expertise in digital transformation and the establishment of several digital projects and platforms. Most notably, he founded the Areed Scientific Platform in Malaysia in 2016, which now includes more than 128,000 researchers and members from across the Arab world.
Dr. Al-Suwaidi also noted that the Areed Platform has since become a digital scientific waqf in Turkey, encompassing innovative initiatives such as the Artificial Intelligence Waqf, considered among the first technological endowments in the Islamic world. He added that through the platform, the International Scientific Forum was launched, with 15 editions held to date, while the 16th edition is currently ongoing under the theme “Endowment and Scientific Development in Light of Digital Transformation.”
On the sidelines of the conference, a number of academic and distinguished figures, as well as members of the Areed Scientific Platform, were honored in recognition of their valuable scholarly contributions. Among those honored were:
Prof. Dr. Kamel Sobhi Salah – President of the World League of Jurists – International Scientific Forum Shield
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ahmed Shoaib – Proactive Researcher Medal
Sheikh Burhan Saeed – Secretary-General of the Eritrean Scholars Association – International Scientific Forum Shield
Dr. Salman Ahmed – Proactive Researcher Medal
Dr. Saad Al-Kubaisi – Proactive Researcher Medal
Dr. Nawaf Al-Otaibi – Proactive Researcher Medal
Dr. Saif Al-Suwaidi’s participation in this conference represents an important step toward advancing Islamic jurisprudence in the digital age and strengthening the interaction between religious knowledge and modern technologies, thereby contributing to the progress of scientific research and the development of innovative solutions to contemporary issues.
