Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University (
Arabic: الأزهر الشريف;
al-Azhar al-Shareef, "the Noble Azhar"), is a premier
Egyptian institution of higher learning, world-renowned for its position as a center of
Islamic scholarship and education. It is connected to Al-Azhar
mosque in Old
Cairo, Al-Azhar ( in Arabic: the most flourished and shining) was so called either because it was surrounded by great glittering places, or as a hopeful disposition, or after the name of Sayeda Fatima Al-Zahra', daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. The mosque was built in two years from
969 AD, the year in which its foundation was laid. The school of theology
(Madrasah) connected with it was founded in
988 AD, as Studies began in Al-Azhar in Ramadan by October 975 A.D., when Chief Justice Abul Hasan Ali ibn Al-No'man started teaching the book "Al-Ikhtisar",on the Shiite Jurisprudence. , but it became a
Sunni school towards the end of the
Middle Ages, an orientation it retains to this day. It is one of the
oldest operating universities in the world.
Al-Azhar was once considered by most Sunni
Muslims to be the most prestigious school of
Islamic learning, and its scholars were seen as some of the most reputable scholars in the
Muslim world. In modern times, however, due to increased government control over syllabus and appointments of professors, its reputation as an institute of prestigious Islamic learning and well-versed Fuqahaa, Muhaditheen, 'Ulamaa and Mufasireen is far from the nostalgic image of the Madrasa's past. Among its stated objectives is the propagation of Islamic religion and culture and the
Arabic language (the language of the
Qur'an.) To that end, it maintains a committee of
ulemas (Islamic scholars) to judge on individual Islamic questions, a printing establishment for printing the Qur'an, and training (government-appointed) preachers in spreading
da'wa.
Al-Azhar is run by a Supreme Council forming general policy, headed by a Grand Imam, known as "Sheikh Al-Azhar." Unlike most universities, it does not admit students who are not practicing Islam, thus it combines the institutions of a Western
theological seminary, with those of the faculties established in
1961.
In 1961, Al-Azhar was reorganized by the Nasser Government and several secular faculties were added to the university, such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, as well as an Islamic women's faculty.
Al-Azhar library, which was consolidated in
1897, is considered second in range, variety and importance only to the
Egyptian National Library and Archives in Cairo. It comprises 99,062 books consisting of 595,668 volumes of the most precious Islamic manuscripts and rare books, some as old as the
8th century AD. The library is a center of attraction to researchers, students and other Islamic universities. It contributes to human knowledge about the Islamic heritage by making photocopies of some of the manuscripts available for the benefit of researchers from Egypt and other countries. The library does not collect non-Islamic literature.
Since
1929, Al-Azhar has published a magazine (now monthly) whose stated purpose is to promulgate religious rules, subjects related to Islamic literature, and basic jurisprudence
(shariah), including sections on history, biographies, translated texts and news concerning the Muslim world. In 1960,
Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah became the first woman to speak at the university.
In 2005, the Al Azhar online document archive was launched
. This is a joint venture between the university and the HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum IT Education Project (ITEP) in Dubai. The archive will eventually give access to all 42,000 manuscripts (c. 7 million pages) in Al Azhar library. As of writing, there are around 1.5 million pages available to view.
Muhammad Sayid Tantawy, the current Imam of Al-Azhar, has declared that the perpetrators of the
9/11 attacks and suicide bombers are "heretics" who are not following the true path of
Islam. In a recent conference in
Indonesia, he asked all "true believers" to deny speakers of extremist and heretical forms of Islam places to speak in the mosque, thus preventing the spread of violent ideologies. Ali Gomaa', the Egyptian
Mufti associated with Al Azhar, has also declared that insurgents who kidnap and kill civilans in
Iraq are the ones which Islam has authorized to thwart and eradicate since they wreak havoc on Earth.
However, Shaykh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, goes well beyond the scope of culture by putting among the priorities of the followers of Islam "to master all knowledge of the world and the hereafter, not least the technology of modern weapons to strengthen and defend the community and faith". He adds that "Mastery over modern weaponry is important to prepare for any eventuality or prejudices of the others, although Islam is a religion of peace ."
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He also re-states a tenet common to many religious leaders, that his is the best faith to follow, and of the duty of active da'wa; while reinforcing the difference between the non-Muslims living apart from Muslims and who are not enemies of Islam ("Muslims are allowed to undertake exchanges of interests with these non-Muslims so long as these ties do not tarnish the image of the faith"), and "the non-Muslims who live in the same country as the Muslims in cooperation and on friendly terms, and are not enemies of the faith" ("In this case, their rights and responsibilities are the same as the Muslims so long as they do not become enemies of Islam").
One can draw a parallel between this attitude and that of the current Church of England, which has just inaugurated (November 2005) a black Archbishop of York who recommends Christians to "stop preaching, go out and make friends" with all, including atheists (see
Christianity and world religions, section "Sociological Aspects"). On the Catholic side, Pope John Paul II was the first pope to pray in a mosque on May 6, 2001 (see
Christianity and world religions, section "Relationship with Islam").
In that last perspective, note may be taken of the great quantity of alumni from that university who have filled the most prominent (and countless lesser) ranks in Islamic liberation movements - starting with Hassan I-Sabbah, founder of the Assassins in the 11th century. Recent times have seen
Hassan al-Banna founding the
Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 "to promote Islamic values" - and barely waiting for its own coming of age to assassinate Egyptian prime minister
Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi in 1948.
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Hassan al-Banna*
Muhammad Abduh*
Ayman Al-Zawahiri*
Omar Abdel Rahman *
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin*
Timeline of Islamic history*
Islamic architecture*
Islamic art*
List of mosques*
Alexandria University*
Al-Azhar University - Gaza*
Fatwas:
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Al-Azhar Shia Fatwa*
Al-Azhar Mosque and University (official site)
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A link to its official profile*
History and organization of Al-Azhar*
islamfortoday.com/alazhar.htm*
muslimheritage.com/islamonline/topics
