The College of Islamic Studies (CIS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) hosted a group of judges from the National School for the Judiciary in France on February 13 and 14, for a training course on “Law in Shari’a and Islam”. HBKU’s CIS is one of several Qatari institutions and universities taking part in the judicial training program organized by the Office of the Attorney General, Qatar Public Prosecution, in cooperation with the Embassy of France in Qatar. 

CIS’ internationally recognized scholars and faculty led the two-day training, which introduced the judges to the historic developments of Islamic law and its contemporary forms. Lectures covered the field of jurisprudence and Shari’a, Islamic financial law, and the development of Shari’a between the 7th and 12th centuries. Other areas covered were Islamic bioethical deliberations on genetic screening, as well as Islamic criminal law and the role of customs in Islamic law.

Welcoming the judges at the Minaratein building in Education City, Dr. Emad El-Din Shahin, Dean of CIS, highlighted the college’s multidisciplinary approach to the training in an effort to ensure an expanded understanding of Islamic and Shari’a law. CIS faculty sharing their expertise were Dr. Louay Safi, Professor of Political Science and Islamic Thought; Dr. Mohamed El-Gammal, Associate Professor of Comparative Fiqh; Dr. Abdulazeem Abozaid, Associate Professor of Islamic Finance; and Dr. Mohamed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethics at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE). Dr. Muhammad Modassir Ali, Senior Researcher at CIS’ Muhammad Bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Muslim Contribution to Civilization (CMCC), and Sarah Zahran, Research Fellow at the CIS, coordinated the course. 

The initiative reflected CIS’ ability to have a global impact by being a hub for knowledge on contemporary and applied Islamic studies. For more information on the programs at the College of Islamic Studies, please visit cis.hbku.edu.qa