KUALA LUMPUR: The secretary-general of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa, inaugurated the Fourth Forum of the ASEAN Scholars Council in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Monday, which brought together senior Islamic scholars and muftis from across Southeast Asia.
As part of the council’s activities this year, Al-Issa launched a new Arabic-language program for huffaz (the name given to people who memorize the entire Qur’an) from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the aim of enhancing their Arabic proficiency and supporting their understanding of Islamic texts.
The event also honored the second group of distinguished Qur’an memorizers from the region to receive ijazahs, formal certifications in Qur’anic recitation, through the league’s Global Technical Quran Recitation Platform.
The certifications were awarded through an authenticated chain of transmission that can be traced back to the Prophet Muhammad, which the league said reflects its efforts to promote Qur’anic education and preserve traditional methods of learning while also taking advantage of modern technological platforms.
Prominent participants at the forum included Malaysia’s deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; the country’s grand mufti, Ahmad Fauwaz Fadzil; and its religious affairs minister, Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
The event featured discussions among leading religious scholars from ASEAN member states, and highlighted a number of initiatives designed to strengthen Islamic education and cooperation across the region.
The ASEAN Scholars Council serves as a platform for cooperation among religious leaders in Southeast Asia and supports initiatives focused on education, moderation and the strengthening of Islamic scholarship throughout the region.