As part of the scientific and cultural activities aimed at deepening contemporary jurisprudential understanding and linking theory to the present, the School of Shariah at the University of Jordan hosted Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali Bala'ow, an expert in minority jurisprudential legal topics snd Muslim issues in the West, in a distinguished scientific lecture entitled: "Muslims in the West: Jurisprudential Principles and Practical Obstacles“, moderated by Dr. Umama Hamasha, as part of the lectures of the postgraduate course ”Islam and the West", which is taught in English.
At the start of his lecture, Dr. Bala'ow reviewed the history of Islam's entry into a number of Western countries, such as Britain and Mexico, noting the specificity of the historical and social context that accompanied the spread of Islam in the West, and the resulting complex challenges for Muslims residing there. He also highlighted the most prominent real-life constraints facing Muslims in the West, such as preserving religious identity, family challenges, halal issues, and the nature of Western laws, with real-life examples such as the Brazilian mosque and the experience of Muslims in Albania, stressing that these constraints force the contemporary jurist to recall a number of Maqasidic rules and principles in the fatwa process.
Among the most prominent things he addressed on the jurisprudential side: He also touched on the rule that need is equated with necessity, explaining the difference between need and necessity from a jurisprudential and fundamentalist perspective, while at the same time reviewing the role of considering the consequences in the fatwa, as in the case of the Maliki masters, and how this is related to achieving the objectives of the Sharia by bringing interests and preventing disadvantages, as well as the importance of combining the Maghrib and Isha prayers at red twilight in countries with special climatic phenomena.
He also referred to practical issues such as combining the Maghrib and Isha prayers at red twilight in countries with special climatic phenomena, and the need to take into account the obligatory duties that are authorized where others are not, in the context of preserving the religion and Muslim identity in non-Muslim countries.
The lecture concluded with an open discussion in which students raised deep questions about the possibilities of developing a jurisprudence that responds to the reality of Muslims in the West without violating the legal constants.
This lecture constituted a qualitative addition to the course “Islam and the West”, as Dr. Bala'ow excelled in linking jurisprudential principles to real-life challenges in a precise analytical manner, which contributed to enriching the educational experience and enhancing students' awareness of the importance of Maqasid jurisprudence in contemporary contexts.