About the BooK

The underlying objective of publishing this booK is a contribution towards reviving the process of ijtihad (independent judgment of legal or theological questions based on the interpretation of the basic fundamentals of Islamic jurisprudence) and innovation. A secondary aim was the rejuvenation of the revival project so that theMuslim nation can resume its role of leading others to civilization while extendingMercy to all humanity. That taKes Knowledge of oneself, ones potential in fulfilling this role, and how to plan for investing in it. It also taKes Knowledge of the "other" in terms of how to deal with him and call him to the right path, so as to achieve humanity together.
This booK is an attempt by the Research and Study Center of theMinistry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs to present a futuristic view of those whom weMay agree on calling "people of ijtihad, thought and opinion", on the occasion of the 9th Islamic Summit in the State of Qatar, under the patronage of His Highness SheiKh Hamad ibn Khalifah Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar. Such a view constitutes one of the worKing guides for decisionMaKers towards achieving harmony and integration andMaKing reconciling scholars with decisionMaKers.
We cannot claim to have achieved what we wanted to out of this project, i.e. assuring the participation ofMost thinKers or intelligentsia in setting aMature strategic vision. But what we presentMay be described in the final analysis as windows that provide access to the cultural status quo.
We tried hard to ensure that contributions to come from diverse cultural and geographical locations and schools of thought. We were resolved that the contributions be a true representation of all countries of theMuslim world who areMembers of the Organization of Islamic Conference, regardless of their different orientations. Additionally, we desired to present contributions of those who live within contemporary