'Islam Will Remain Strong' Arab News (Jedda) Monday, 25, April, 2005 (16, Rabi` al-Awwal, 1426) Yousif Muhammad, Arab News - MADINAH, 25 April 2005 - Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday distributed the Naif International Prize for outstanding works on Sunnah and Islamic Studies to its winners and said the prize would serve Islam and Muslims. Addressing the ceremony, Prince Sultan said Islam would remain strong. "I pray to Almighty that He may strengthen His religion, establish truth and defeat falsehood," the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying. Of the five winners three are women: Dr. Rawiya bint Ahmad Al-Dhahhar, Fatima bint Saleh Al-Jared, both from Saudi Arabia, and Rukaya bint Taha Al-Alawani of Bahrain. Fatima and Dr. Hekmat ibn Bashir Yasmeen, an Iraqi, shared the prize for Sunnah (Subject: Sunnah and Protection of Human Rights). Dr. Alawani was declared winner for the research she presented on the etiquette of dialogue with opponents in the light of Sunnah. The prizes for Islamic studies went to Dr. Al-Dhahhar (Shariah objectives for punishments in Islam) and Sheikh Adnan ibn Muhammad Al-Arour, a Syrian (The method of preaching Islam in the light of contemporary realities). Prince Saud ibn Naif, Saudi ambassador to Spain and supervisor of the prize, said Madinah was selected as the headquarters of the prize considering its historic importance. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) started his Islamic mission from this holy city, he pointed out. He said the prize was instituted to encourage Islamic research and studies and to highlight the beauty of Islamic teachings. He said the prize committee had instituted another major prize for service of Sunnah for those who author books, spend full time for its studies and use modern technology for its studies and propagation. "We have also instituted another prize, for the winner of the Hadith memorizing competition," Prince Saud said, adding that this prize was established to encourage the younger generation to eternalize Hadith by memorizing and practicing them in their daily life. The prize also organized a number of lectures and seminars with the participation of prominent scholars and experts from inside and outside Saudi Arabia. Dr. Saaed Al-Harithy, secretary-general of the prize, said the prize was instituted to encourage Muslim intellectuals to delve deep into the treasures of the Hadith and explain the true message of Islam. He hoped that it would help remove the misunderstandings about Islam and Prophet Muhammad. The Prince Naif Prize was instituted in 2002 to encourage scientific research in the Sunnah of the Prophet and Islamic studies and promote a spirit of competition among Muslim researchers around the world. Each prize consists of a cash award of SR500,000, a certificate of appreciation and a medal. Interior Minister Prince Naif, Madinah Governor Prince Muqrin and other top officials attended the ceremony. Misfer ibn Abdullah Basheer of the Prize Committee told Arab News that a total of 241 scientific papers were received by the committee and they were screened by a panel of university professors. "At the preliminary stage a total of 133 of the 241 papers were rejected since they did not comply with the requirements of the committee," Basheer added. The prize committee comprises 14 members including representatives from the Muslim World League, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, Al-Azhar Mosque, University of Islamabad, Umm Al-Qura University and Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University. Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments Dr. Essam Al-Bashir commended the Saudi government's efforts for the dissemination of the message of Islam. He said Islam would continue to guide the humanity to the right path despite the smear campaigns by enemies. Fatima holds a master's degree in Islamic dawa from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, while Dr. Yasmeen has got his doctorate in Qur'an and Sunnah. He has taken part in academic activities as well as in conferences. While thanking Prince Sultan for presenting the awards, the winners commended the great popularity achieved by the Naif Prize. "We call upon Islamic scholars and thinkers to promote this project by presenting their outstanding works for the prize," SPA quoted them as saying. "This is a pioneering prize in the field of Sunnah and Islamic studies and is another contribution of Saudi Arabia toward spreading the message of Islam," the winners said. http://www.arabnews.com/services/print/print.asp?artid=62736&d=25&m=4&y=2005 &hl=%91Islam%20Will%20Remain%20Strong%92 ------------------------ Yahoo! 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