The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA) is pleased to invite the esteemed and respected Imams to attend their training workshop that will be held mid-October, 2010 in Houston, Texas.

Theme:

“If you differ in a matter, then refer it back to Allaah and the Messenger if you believe in Allaah and the Last Day.” [Qur’an]

Title:

Arbitration: Its Guidelines and Procedures in Sharee’ah

Date:

October 15^th through 18^th, 2010

In order to attend the entire workshop, we request from the esteemed Imams to arrive Friday evening, and that their departure is Monday after 3pm insha Allaah.

Number of Invitees:

Invitation is limited to 200 imams.

Place:

Sheraton North Houston Hotel
15700 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77032
United States
Phone: (281) 442-5100  (281) 442-5100
Airport: Houston International Airport (Code IAH)

 

Workshop Topics

Topic 1: The issue of arbitration through the lens of sharee’ah

Lecture One: The concept of arbitration in sharee’ah (definition and general principles)

Lecturer: Dr. Main Al-Qudah

Follow Up: Dr. Salah Al-Sawy

Points of Discussion:    

• Defining Arbitration, its role in preserving the identity, & the arbitration of sharee’ah
  
• The legislation of arbitration, its types, & fields of applications
  
• The difference between it and other judicial mechanisms
  

Lecture Two: The concept of arbitration in sharee’ah (the arbitrary system, its guidelines, and procedures in sharee’ah)

Lecturer: Dr. Waleed Al-Maneesy

Follow Up: Dr. Hatem Al-Haj

Points of Discussion:

• Agreeing on arbitration
  
• Appointing/Removing arbiters, arbitration period, & burdens of arbitration
  
• Arbitrary decisions, their legitimacy, and the lawfulness of dissent
  

 Lecture Three: The judicial values for arbitration and arbiters

Lecturer: Dr. Muhammad Na’eem Yaaseen

Follow Up: Dr. Salah Al-Sawy

Points of Discussion:

• A reading of Umar’s letter to Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary on judiciaries
  

 Lecture Four: A reading of the assembly’s treatise on social issues [Part 1]

Lecturer: Dr. Muwaffak Al-Ghaylany

Follow Up: Dr. Salah Al-Sawy

Lecture Five: A reading of the assembly’s treatise on social issues [Part 2]

Lecturer: Dr. Waleed Basyouni

Follow Up: Dr. Salah Al-Sawy

Forum: A comparison between the assembly’s treatise on social issues and family laws in American society.

Participants: Dr. Salah Al-Sawy, Dr. Muhammad Adam Ash-Shaykh, Dr. Sayyid Ibrahim (Michigan), Shaykh Mujahid Bikhash.

What is intended by this forum? This forum seeks to acquaint the esteemed Imams with the most important points of difference between certain fiqhi matters and the prevalent laws in these lands pertaining to the family issues that the treatise discussed.

  

Topic 2: The issue of arbitration through the lens of legality

What is intended by this topic? The lectures in this topic revolve around drawing out the arbitrary procedures that will allow its decisions to be legally legitimized, and so that resorting to it isn’t a waste of time and money. This section works towards taking the arbitrary system and transcending with it beyond chaos and disorganization into serious planning and legal backing, leaving with detailed practical steps on route to that.

Lecture Six: The legal structure of arbitrary systems and their decisions

Lecture Seven: The authority of the arbitrary committee’s decision, renouncing its decisions, and legal oversight over it.

Lecturers: Dr. Muhammad Adam Ash-Shaykh, Muhammad Bakhash, Dr. Sayyid Ibraheem

 

Topic 3: The issue of arbitration between theory and practice

What is intended by this topic? Discussion on this topic has two objectives:

• Practically training them on the steps of successful arbitration by presenting to them a realistic example that may be replicated in different states. It includes detailed suggestions of practical legal steps towards arbitration of sharee’ah.
• Pointing out the importance of family counseling as a necessary first step towards solving marital conflict and seeking arbitration in it.

Lecture 8: Marriage Counseling & The Doorway to Arbitration

Lecturer: Dr. Muhammad Sadiq [Psychiatrist]

Lecture 9: How to run an arbitrary council [Part 1]

Lecturer: TBA [To Be Determined]

Lecture 10: How to run an arbitrary council [Part 2 – via video conference]

Lecturer: Dr. Nuh Al-Qudah

Points of Discussion:

• Council management, the plaintiff and defendant, proofs and circumstances, oath and witnesses, debating the accusation before the judge, the insight of the judge, preparing the document of decision, and other experiences in the field

Due to the assembly’s limited budget, we humbly ask of the esteemed invitees to purchase their own round tickets (either personally or through their Islamic centers), whereas all remaining accommodations of room and local transportation will be made available.

Registration will be based on a first come-first serve basis... and unfortunately receiving 200 of our respected Imams is our cap.

 

Inform other Imams about this, for it is not unknown to you that he who calls to good is like he who does it. We pray to Allaah to make this workshop blessed and beneficial, just as we ask of Him ease, direction, and success. Wassalamu Alaykum