The 2016 conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny or shortly Chechnya Conference was convened to define the term "Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah", i.e. who are "the people of Sunnah and majority Muslim community", and oppose Takfiri groups. The conference was held in the Chechen Republic capital of Grozny from 25 to 27 August 2016, sponsored by the president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, supported by Vladimir Putin, and attended by approximately 200 Muslim scholars from 30 countries, especially from Russia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Sudan, Jordan, etc. at the invitation of Yemeni scholar, Ali al-Jifri.
The conference was dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the birth of Kadyrov's father, Akhmad Kadyrov, the first President of Chechnya.
The conference was notable for defining Sunni Islam in the final communiqué of the conference as including Ash'aris and Maturidis in theology (Aqidah), Hanafis, Shafi'is, Malikis and Hanbalis in jurisprudence (Fiqh), and people of spirituality (Sufis) - but not the Wahhabi or Salafi movements. It condemned Salafism and Wahhabism as "misguided" sects, along with Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and others.
The conference's final declaration stated that: <blockquote>Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a [Sunni Muslims] are the Ash'aris and Maturidis (adherents of the theological systems of Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi). In matters of belief, they are followers of any of the four schools of thought (Hanafi, Maliki, ShafiâÂÂi or Hanbali) and are also the followers of the Sufism of Imam al-Junayd al-Baghdadi in doctrines, manners and [spiritual] purification.</blockquote>
Over 200 Muslim scholars-theologians and religious leaders from various Islamic schools of thought from 30 countries all over the world, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Kuwait, Sudan, Qatar, Iraq, India, Indonesia, Britain, Russia, South Africa, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.
Notable scholars and preachers in attendance included:
The conference participants reflected their support for what in Russia is considered âÂÂtraditionalâ Islam. Some suggestions came out of the conference, including recommendations to:
The conference evoked a torrent of condemnation and criticism mostly from the Saudi Arabian establishment closely linked to the Saudi Kingdom such as the Saudi Council of Senior ScholarsâÂÂas well as from the scholars of the Salafi, Wahhabi, and Ikhwani movementsâÂÂfor what they perceived as Russian meddling in regional politics via religion. Twenty-one religious institutions across the world signed a petition of support to Salafis, expressing solidarity with them, emphasizing that the conference participants only represent themselves. Syrian Sufi scholar Hasan al-Dugim condemned the conference as a sham and defended the "Salafi brothers"; arguing that they are closer to Sufis than "Putin's scholars". The conference was also discerned by the noticeable absence of delegates from Turkey.
The International Association of Muslim Scholars, an organization led by Muslim Brotherhood-linked Yusuf al-Qaradawi denounced the conference as "a shameful attempt to sow dissent within the Muslim community." The conference has also been widely criticised for toeing a Russian government line. Prominent Russian religious leaders avoided the conference in protest. The chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Moscow, Ildar Alyautdinov, expressed his disillusionment with the resolution of the conference.
In response to the widespread criticism received in the Islamic World, Al-Azhar publicly distanced itself from the conference and in mid-October sent a high-level delegation led by the senior Azhari scholar, Shaykh Abbas Shouman to Saudi Arabia and reconciled with the Salafi religious establishment, including the Grand Mufti Abdul Azeez Aal-Shaykh.