al- Azhar University

Al-Azhar University الأزهر الشريف Al-Azhar al-Sharīf
Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo Egypt
Established	975
Type	Public, Islamic
Religious affiliation	Sunni
Sheikh	Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
Location	Cairo, Egypt
Campus	Urban

Al-Azhar University (Arabic: الأزهر الشريف; al-Azhar al-Shareef, "the Noble Azhar"), is a premier Egyptian institution of higher learning, world-renowned^{[peacock term]} 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,^{[citation needed]} 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. Studies began in Al-Azhar in Ramadan by October 975 AD, when Chief Justice Abul Hasan Ali ibn Al-No'man started teaching the book "Al-Ikhtisar", on the Shiite jurisprudence. 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.

Reputation

Al-Azhar is considered by most Sunni Muslims^{[citation needed]} to be the most prestigious school of Islamic learning, and its scholars are seen as some of the most reputable scholars in the Muslim world. 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.

Politics

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,^{[citation needed]} 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; added 6 years after Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah became (In 1955) the first woman to speak at the university.^{[citation needed]}

Literature

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 Islamic manuscripts and rare books, some dating back to the 8th century.^{[citation needed]} The library is a center of attraction^{[citation needed]} to researchers, students and other Islamic universities. The library does not collect non-Islamic literature.^{[citation needed]}

Since 1929, Al-Azhar has published a magazine (now monthly) whose stated purpose is to advertise 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 2005, the Al Azhar online document archive was launched^{[citation needed]}. This is a joint venture between the university and the HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum IT Education Project (ITEP) in Dubai.^{[citation needed]} The archive intends to eventually give access to all 42,000 manuscripts (c. 7 million pages) in Al Azhar library.

Response to negative press

Muhammad Sayyid 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.^{[citation needed]} 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 civilians in Iraq are the ones which Islam has authorized to thwart and eradicate since they wreak havoc on Earth.^{[citation needed]}

Shaykh Tantawy goes extends the culture by putting among the priorities of muslims "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."^[1].

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").

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 fundamentalist Islamic 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, responsible for the assassination of Egyptian prime minister Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi in 1948, to "promote Islamic values".^{[citation needed]}

Concerns regarding freedom of speech

In October 2007 Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, the current Imam of Al-Azhar has been accused of fighting the freedom of speech when he called the Egyptian government to toughen its rules and punishments against Journalists.The rise of this argument exploded when Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy during a Friday sermon with presence of Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and a number of ministers stated that: Journalism that contributes to the spread of rumours and not true news deserve to be boycotted , and is a considered a sin by readers to buy them. He also called for a punishment of eighty lashes for those "throwing" other charges false. In response to that a statement issued by Egypt's press union stated that Sayyid Tantawy seemed to be involved in inciting and escalating campaign against journalists and freedom of the press in Egypt when it demanded the application of flogging in cases of publication^{[2] [3]}. It is believed that this is not the first time that Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy has been accused by Egypt's press union in not supporting the freedom of speech Mr Tantawy during the same month in 2007 in a religious celebration released comments that seemed to condone a recent government crackdown against opposition journalists in the country.^[4].

Alumni, Students and Faculty

Before 1800

1800 - early 1900s

• Muhammad Abduh, founder of Islamic Modernism.
• Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, founder and leader of Black Hand
• Yusuf Ma Dexin, first translator of the meanings of the Qur'an in to Chinese and one of the leaders of the Panthay Rebellion^[5]
• Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, Mufti of Jerusalem, an Arab nationalist and a Muslim leader and anti-Zionist in Palestine and Egypt.
• Ahmed Orabi, the first Egyptian army officer and an army general leading the Urabi Revolt.

1910-1950s

• Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood (Hassan al-Banna graduated from Daru 'Ulom which is an affiliate of Cairo University)
• Omar Abdel Rahman, leader of Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
• Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, a Sunni, Shafi'i, Sufi, Islamic jurist, theologian, and founder of the Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.
• Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, co-founder and leader of Hamas
• Saad Zaghlul leader of 1919 revolution in Egypt.
• Taha Hussein, Influential Egyptian writer and intellectual
• Ibrahim Mukhtar, first Mufti of Eritrea

1950-

• Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of the Maldives^{[citation needed]}
• Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Menteri Besar of the Islamic state of Kelantan in Malaysia.
• Abdel Kareem Nabil, Shariah student imprisoned for his criticism of islam in his weblog.
• Mahmud Shaltut, Grand Sheik of Azhar,who issued in 1961 a fatwa (authoritative opinion) declaring that Al-Azhar recognised Shi'ism as a valid branch of Islam."

See also

• Timeline of Islamic history
• Islamic architecture
• Islamic art
• List of mosques
• Alexandria University
• Al-Azhar University - Gaza
• Book published by Al-Azhar University
• Fatwas:
  • Al-Azhar Shia Fatwa

References

1. ^ The Grand Imams of Al-Azhar. Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
2. ^ allheadlinenews.com
3. ^ aljazeera.net(Arabic Online)
4. ^ International Herald Tribune
5. ^ Hala Fawzy. "His Excellency Ambassador Wu Sike interviewed by the Egyptian Gazette", Egyptian Gazette, 2004-01-10. Retrieved on 2007-02-16. 

External links

• History and organization of Al-Azhar
• Islam for Today
• Muslim Heritage

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