According to the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence Studies, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohammad-Taqi Fazel, Director of Content Production and Research at the Allamah Hilli Center affiliated with the Holy Shrine of Imam Hossain (peace be upon him), visited this research institute, becoming acquainted with its research capacities while emphasizing the necessity of establishing sustainable scientific and research cooperation between the two institutions.
Research Capacities and Background of the Research Institute’s Activities
At the beginning of this meeting, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Dorri, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence Studies, while welcoming the guest, articulated the activities of this center, stating: “This research institute, established in 2020, now utilizing 13 active research departments in specialized fields such as ‘Environmental Jurisprudence,’ ‘Political Jurisprudence,’ and ‘Women’s Jurisprudence,’ has taken effective steps in elucidating contemporary jurisprudence. To date, more than 50 research projects are in the process of publication or final completion, and nearly 300 specialized scientific sessions have been held.”
The Deputy Director of the Research Institute, referring to the media and international dimensions of activities, added: “Publishing 26 electronic scientific journals, launching the ‘Contemporary Jurisprudence Lectures Website’ supported by over 11,000 educational media items, and compiling the ‘Encyclopedia of Contemporary Jurisprudence’ with more than 600 entries are among the significant achievements of this institute. Our main goal along this path is synergy with aligned centers such as the SAMT Organization and other scientific institutions to expand and deepen contemporary jurisprudence studies.”
Emphasis on Sustainable Scientific Cooperation
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohammad-Taqi Fazel, in another part of this meeting, expressing satisfaction with the achievements of the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence Studies, stated: “Praise be to Allah, through proper management, a coherent mechanism and organization have been formed. We hope to achieve sustainable and impactful scientific cooperation by identifying common ground.”
Introducing the Structure of the Holy Shrine and the Mission of the Allamah Hilli Center
The Director of Content Production and Research at the Allamah Hilli Center, introducing the structure of the Holy Shrine of Imam Hossain (peace be upon him) and its standing in scientific and cultural activities, specified: “The Holy Shrine is a vast complex encompassing scientific, cultural, welfare, and economic activities. In Qom, a complex consisting of several active institutes is based, including the Daleel Institute, the Imam Sajjad (a) Institute, the Karbala Network, and the Allamah Hilli Center; however, the Allamah Hilli Center is specifically tasked with the primary mission of deep scientific activities in the fields of jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence (Usul), Hadith, and seminary sciences.”
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Fazel, pointing to the historical importance of the city of Hilleh as a base for scholars of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), added: “This city has long been the cradle for nurturing great scientific families such as Al-Mutahhar, Al-Tawus, and the family of Allamah Hilli, and its epistemological atmosphere is rooted in the glad tidings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).”
Revitalizing the Shi’i Heritage: The Primary Mission of the Allamah Hilli Center
Elucidating the activities of this center, which has been active for approximately 9 years, the Director of Content Production and Research at the Allamah Hilli Center noted: “This institute has so far attracted many researchers from Iran and Iraq and revitalized highly valuable works. Our most important mission is revitalizing the Shi’i heritage (ihya al-turath), particularly the works of Allamah Hilli and the disciples of his school. From the 400 to 500 titles attributed to this school, extensive activities have been conducted in codicology and scientific research.”
In conclusion, pointing to the convening of the “International Allamah Hilli Congress,” he stated: “Over the past eight years, more than 500 scientific papers in the subjects of jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, theology (kalam), Hadith, biographical evaluation (rijal), and Islamic history have been gathered within the framework of this congress. The difference in the Allamah Hilli Center’s approach compared to similar centers is avoiding thematic dispersion and placing special focus on the heritage of Hilleh and its scholars, which has rendered our research outputs scientifically rich and persuasive.”
In the continuation of this meeting, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Dorri, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Contemporary Jurisprudence Studies, while appreciating the explanations of Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohammad-Taqi Fazel, Director of the Allamah Hilli Center, articulated the concept of “contemporary jurisprudence,” considering it beyond merely examining topics of the last century. He added: “‘Contemporary jurisprudence’ means ‘a new perspective on a jurisprudential issue.’ This new perspective might also have been held by a scholar in the fifth century AH; it is not the case that if a subject is old and longstanding, we absolutely refrain from addressing it anymore.”
The Deputy Director of the Research Institute, referring to papers and books on the verge of publication by the institute, emphasized: “In the works of past scholars, there exist many new perspectives on subjects. If a subject appears to have been less addressed by early scholars, they certainly held an idea regarding it. For example, at the Karbala Congress, I authored a paper titled ‘Vahid Behbahani’s Conceptual Innovation in the Conditions of Ijtihad.’ Many of the sciences and conditions that we consider self-evident for ijtihad today have roots in the work of the late Vahid Behbahani; he was the founder of other sciences upon whose words other scholars built. Many of our past scholars initiated a path that appears very clear and self-evident to us today, but the cornerstone was laid by that very scholar.”
In conclusion, he characterized this meeting as promising a new chapter of strategic cooperation between two leading institutions in the field of seminary scientific research, formed upon deep scientific commonalities, which can lead to synthesizing an authentic Ijtihadi approach with the new needs of contemporary jurisprudence.