His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received key participants of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference at Sakhir Palace today, led by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders.
The conference, hosted in Bahrain under HM the King’s patronage, brings together over 400 scholars, religious leaders, intellectuals, and experts from around the world under the theme “One Nation, One Shared Destiny.” It is organised by Al Azhar, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and the Muslim Council of Elders.
HM the King welcomed the participants, expressing appreciation for their attendance and contribution to this important Islamic conference. His Majesty wished them success in their discussions aimed at fostering unity, strengthening ties among Muslim nations, and enhancing Islamic solidarity.
Following a recitation from the Holy Quran, HM the King delivered the following speech:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Your Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif,
Distinguished attendees,
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and his blessings. It is our pleasure to welcome you to Bahrain, which is pleased to host this auspicious convention, with its noble goals for the unity of our Islamic nation and the elevation of its status.
It is our please to meet you in this blessed hour of gathering and communication, on the occasion of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference. The idea of the conference came at the initiative by the Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayyeb, announced in Bahrain two years ago. May Allah protect him and bless his devoted efforts to serve Islam and Muslims.
Today, we respond to that historic call by holding this important conference, which aims to renew Islamic thought and pave the way for a new phase that enables us to express the essence of Islam in a sound and honest manner, and to reasonably deal with challenges facing the Ummah and hindering its civilisational progress.
As you are aware, honourable guests, our Islamic Ummah has gone through and is still going through difficult circumstances. This necessitates that we exert more effort to reach a common ground among us, uniting our hearts, unifying our words, strengthening our resolve, and rejecting division and disagreement.
In this regard, we look forward to the conference’s religious contributions to promoting moderate thought and put an end to the exploitation of religion and sects which threatens societal stability and national sovereignty. This, in turn, requires the development of renewed and serious mechanisms to expand the circle of understanding and rapprochement to include all components of our Islamic societies, under the wise leadership of religious symbols and references from all schools of thought and intellectual doctrines.
We would like to emphasise the Kingdom of Bahrain stands by what will be issued by this religious forum to unite our Islamic Ummah on the goal of true “religious fraternity”, by consolidating solidarity and rapprochement between Islamic sects, and considering the differences between them as differences of diversity and complementarity, and that what unites them is much greater than what divides them.
We take this opportunity to commend the leading role of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain in bringing together distinguished scholars to serve Islam and to elevate the status of Muslims and unify them.
We also take pride in unified Bahraini Family Law, whose exemplary experience has proven that the points of convergence between Islamic schools of thought are capable of accommodating limited points of difference without leading to any division or disagreement.
In conclusion, we praise Allah Almighty for His grace and the honour of making us people of one Qibla and a symbol of unity and harmony, and with His blessing we have become brothers. We ask Him to guide us, and grant everyone success to achieve what is best for the nation.
May the Peace of Allah, His mercy and blessings be upon you.
Following that, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, addressed the gathering.
Dr. Al Tayyeb expressed appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for hosting the conference in the Kingdom of Bahrain and calling for dialogue to foster unity and strengthen solidarity among Muslim communities in the face of common challenges. He commended the provision of the necessary capabilities for the conference to succeed and convey it message to the whole world.
His Eminence wished His Majesty success in serving the Kingdom and supporting the issues of the Ummah. He also wished Bahrain and all Islamic countries continuous safety, peace and stability.
Dr. Al Tayyeb expressed appreciation to the scholars for their presence and response to this pure and sincere Islamic initiative, through which we seek to unite the Ummah, reach understanding, and forget the past.
His Eminence said that the conference engaged fellow Muslim scholars, jurists, and thinkers in discussions about the significant challenges facing the Muslim world. He commended the conference as a rare and remarkable event, bringing together scholars and representatives from across the Islamic spectrum including Sunnis, Imami Shiites, Zaidis, Ibadhis, and other Muslim communities.
Dr. Al Tayyeb cited a hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): “Whoever prays like us and faces our Qibla and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim and is under Allah’s and His Apostle’s protection. So do not betray Allah by betraying those who are in His protection.”
Reflecting on the historical consequences of division, he noted that internal conflicts and sectarian tensions had weakened the Muslim world, creating vulnerabilities that external forces had exploited. His Eminence said that one of the consequences was seeing those who call for the forced displancement of an ancient people from their homeland to make way for a tourism project on top of corpses of the men, women and children in the bereaved Gaza.
His Eminence underscored the urgency of creating Arab and Islamic solidarity to serve the interests of the nation.
Dr. Al Tayyeb extended his best wishes for the success of the upcoming Arab summits in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, expressing hope that they would contribute to greater unity and cooperation.
In conclusion, His Eminence commended the efforts of all those who contributed to the success of the conference, including Bahrain’s leadership and the organising entities. He also announced that the next Islamic Dialogue Conference would be hosted by Al Azhar in Egypt, continuing efforts to advance collaboration and mutual understanding.
His Eminence reiterated his gratitude to His Majesty the King for his leadership and support of the initiative, acknowledging Bahrain’s dedication to fostering meaningful dialogue within the Muslim world.
Then, HM the King hosted a luncheon in honour of the distinguished guests attending the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference.
