Doha, July 08 (QNA) - The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs wrapped up the 4th cultural season of its "Ummah Symposium", which was held under the theme "Knowledge of Revelation."

Taking place at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in the presence of HE Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanem, the event brought together a distinguished group of researchers, academics, and specialists.

The 4th cultural season examined the understanding of divine revelation and its role in cultural continuity and restoring Islamic civilization.

In his opening remarks, Director of the Department of Islamic Research and Studies at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Thani said that the "Ummah Symposium" is one of the Ministry's leading cultural and intellectual initiatives, part of its preaching and scholarly mission.

Through the "Ummah Symposium", the Ministry seeks to promote knowledge rooted in divine revelation and to discuss intellectual and cultural issues affecting individuals, society, and the Muslim nation, he added.

Sheikh Dr. Ahmed said the Symposium is part of a quarterly scholarly initiative organized by the department, bringing together leading scholars to examine a broad range of intellectual and cultural issues, while exploring potential solutions to contemporary social challenges and negative trends within the community.

He highlighted the Department of Islamic Research and Studies' programs and initiatives which seek to promote research, critical thinking, and scholarly dialogue, while connecting contemporary intellectual issues to their Islamic foundations and civilizational objectives.

This, Sheikh Dr. Ahmed said, helps strengthen public awareness and contributes to building individuals capable of engaging constructively with the issues of their time.

This season's theme stems from the conviction that divine scripture is the core of the Islamic civilization and any attempt at restoring it, will have to be done through revitalizing the connection with revelation, by means of understanding, reflecting on, and applying divine scripture, thus, paving the way to contributing to human development and shaping the future.

For his part, Legal Researcher Hassan Abdulrazzaq Al Sayed said that revitalizing a civilization cannot be achieved only by passing down material achievements such as architectural styles and arts, rather it will require transmitting culture: including its values, ethics, knowledge, and worldviews, the elements that give a nation its identity.

Reason and the five senses serve as complementary tools for understanding reality and discovering its governing laws, Al Sayed said, whereas divine revelation is the supreme source of knowledge that establishes a comprehensive understanding of existence.

In turn, professor at the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies at Qatar University Dr. Hamid Koufi addressed the requirements and conditions for cultural continuity, noting that mere belonging to a particular nation or community does not entitle its members to their civilization. Instead, they will have to show will and active engagement, in addition to reviving the nation's historical consciousness, strengthening the successive generations' connection to their civilizational heritage, and mastering the knowledge and technology of their times, all while operating within an Islamic legal framework. (QNA)