Introduction to the World Assembly for the Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought

The World Assembly for the Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought began its work in 1369 AH (1990 AD) by order of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, with the appointment of its Secretary-General and members of the Supreme Council by His Eminence.

In its first step, the Supreme Council of the Assembly approved the founding statute and structure of the Assembly.

Its foundations were based on three pillars: scientific, cultural, and domestic and international relations.

A. Strategy of the World Assembly for the Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought

During the period 1382-1391 AH

Introduction

Formulating a strategic plan is of paramount importance, as the successes achieved in previous activities do not provide any guarantee of future successes. In this context, the World Assembly for the Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought worked to prepare a comprehensive strategic planning plan, which it presented to the Supreme Council of the Assembly, which held its meeting on December 12 and 13, 2002, in Tehran. The Council approved the plan after review and discussion.

Disclaimer

In the context of achieving its goals and aspirations, the World Assembly for the Approximation of Islamic Schools of Thought prepared a comprehensive draft strategic plan and presented it to the International Supreme Council at its meeting in Tehran on Shawwal 18 and 19, 1423 AH (December 23 and 24, 2002). It was discussed in detail, amended, and approved.

Chapter One: Specialized Concepts

1 - Rapprochement

According to the World Assembly for the Rapprochement of Islamic Schools of Thought, rapprochement means: the rapprochement between followers of Islamic schools of thought with the aim of getting to know one another through achieving religious harmony and brotherhood based on common, fixed, and certain Islamic principles.

2 - Islamic Unity

Islamic unity is: cooperation between followers of Islamic schools of thought based on common, fixed, and certain Islamic principles, adopting a unified stance to achieve the goals and supreme interests of the Islamic Ummah, and a unified stance against its enemies, while respecting the obligations of every Muslim toward his or her school of thought in both belief and practice.

3 - Islamic Schools of Thought

The term "Islamic schools of thought" refers to those well-known Islamic schools of jurisprudence that have a harmonious system of ijtihad based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The recognized schools of jurisprudence, according to the World Forum for the Rapprochement of Islamic Schools of Thought, are: the Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools of thought among Sunnis; the Twelver, Zaidi, and Bohra schools of thought among Shi'a; and the Ibadi school of thought.

(However, there are other schools that either have no followers, are affiliated with one of the aforementioned schools of thought, or express individual opinions that are not bound by a specific school of thought.)

Chapter Two: Foundations of Rapprochement

The process of rapprochement among Islamic schools of thought is based on general principles, the most important of which are the following:

1. The Holy Qur'an and the Noble Prophetic Sunnah are the two primary sources of Sharia, and all Islamic schools share these two sources. The validity of other sources depends on their being derived from them.

2. Belief in the following fundamental principles and pillars defines the Islamic character:

A. Belief in the Oneness of God Almighty (Tawhid).

B: Belief in the prophethood and finality of the Noble Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and that his Sunnah represents one of the two primary sources of religion.

C: Belief in the Holy Quran, its concepts, and its rulings, as the primary source of the Islamic religion.

D: Belief in the afterlife.

E: Not denying the essentials of religion and accepting the pillars of Islam, such as prayer, zakat, fasting, Hajj, jihad, etc.

3. The legitimacy of ijtihad and freedom of research: True Islam has recognized intellectual differences by recognizing the legitimacy of ijtihad within the framework of the primary Islamic sources. Therefore, Muslims must consider differences in ijtihad as normal and respect other opinions.

4. Islamic unity is a Quranic characteristic of the Islamic Ummah and a principle of paramount importance, taking precedence over other, less important rulings in situations of conflict.

5. The principle of Islamic brotherhood constitutes a general foundation for the quality of interaction among Muslims.