Al-Azhar at 1078: Calling for Ahl Al-Qibla to unite but no one wants to hear the call

Egypt’s Al-Azhar celebrated the 1,085th Hijri anniversary of its inauguration with its first prayer on 7th Ramadan (361 AH / 972 AD).

Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, originally established as a center for Shi’a Islam, has become the world's largest and most influential Sunni Islamic institution—one of history's greatest ironies.

In another irony because from two weeks ago, its Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb launched a call in the Islamic world to end the sectarian division between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.

Al-Tayeb led top Islamic scholars and religious leaders from across the Muslim world who signed the Call of Ahl Al-Qibla declaration, a landmark document aimed at strengthening dialogue and unity among different Islamic sects and schools of thought.

In other words, the dialogue between Sunna and Shia.

The Call of Ahl Al-Qibla asserts that sectarian diversity is a natural and legitimate part of Islamic scholarship, rejecting any attempts to impose uniformity by dissolving distinct sects into a single doctrine.

Instead, the document calls on Muslims to focus on the shared foundations of the faith, which are rooted in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The declaration also underscores the historical harmony among Muslims across different regions and theological backgrounds, highlighting their shared contributions to intellectual, social, and economic development. It reaffirms that Islamic unity is a sacred covenant that must be safeguarded against political and ideological divisions.

“The call affirmed that Islamic brotherhood is deeply rooted and well-established, transcending mere notions of rapprochement or reconciliation among Muslims—whether in terms of geography, as its followers have lived together in harmony for centuries within their societies and nations, or in terms of belief, thought, and consciousness, as they all stem from a single reference: The divine revelation in the Holy Qur’an and the prophetic guidance left by the final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ. It is upon this foundation that the scholars and authorities of this Ummah have built their jurisprudence, from which its schools of thought and legal doctrines have branched out. These traditions have raised the banner of Islamic scholarship high across the world, enriching the social, economic, and intellectual life of Muslim communities.” The official statement about the Declaration read.

The declaration came after the proposal of Grand Imam of Al-Azhar of an initiative to the scholars gathered at the Islamic Dialogue Conference, emphasizing that it is a necessity rather than a luxury.

He suggested that the leading scholars representing different Islamic schools of thought convened at this conference work together to draft a "Charter" or "Constitution", which could be called "The Constitution of Ahl al-Qibla" or "The Charter of Islamic Brotherhood."

At the heart of this document would be the authentic Prophet Muhammed ﷺ hadith: “Whoever performs our prayer, faces our Qibla, and eats our slaughtered meat—that is a Muslim who enjoys the protection of Allah and His Messenger. So do not betray Allah in His protection."

He pointed out that Egyptian Sheikh Mohamed Abu Zahra had previously put forth a similar proposal, outlining fundamental principles for such a charter. The Grand Imam urged the attendees to study this proposal and build upon it, fostering unity and mutual understanding among Muslims.

In his annual Ramadan TV show “The Imam Al-Tayeb”, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar spoke about it.

Again,Arab mainstream media completely ignored this important timely call.

As a Muslim and Arab Egyptian, I pray that this call does not go unheard in the Muslim world and that it reaches both Qom and Mecca—or rather, Tehran and Riyadh—in a crystal-clear manner.

We can’t endure this any longer.

In reality, this call will not progress without the political will of the great and influential Muslim nations—namely Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, or more specifically, Tehran and Riyadh.

I believe Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb must have secured Egypt’s political backing to make such a call on a global stage.

A country like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, or Yemen desperately needs this call to be heard and acted upon.

Now, this is not the first Al-Azhar tries to mend the gap between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.

In 1938, in the same year Iran’s Shia Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi engaged Egypt’s Sunni Princess Fawzia Fouad in unprecedented move in the modern Middle East, Iranian scholar Muhammad Taqi Qummi conceived the idea of establishing an institution dedicated to promoting dialogue and unity among different Islamic sects.

His inspiration came after witnessing sectarian tensions, particularly an incident in which a Shiite pilgrim was executed in Mecca by Saudi authorities due to Wahhabi hostility toward Shiites. Seeking to create a platform for Sunni-Shia rapprochement, Qummi traveled to Egypt, where he met with Sheikh Muhammad Mustafa Al-Maraghi, Al-Azhar Grand Imam at the time.

Maraghi expressed initial support for the initiative and facilitated Qummi’s introduction to other Egyptian scholars interested in Islamic unity.

After securing the backing of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Borujerdi, one of the most prominent Twelver Shia clerics of the era, Qummi officially launched Dar al-Taqrib bayn al-Madhahib al-Islamiyya (The House for the Rapprochement of Islamic Schools of Thought) in 1947 in Egypt. This institution brought together both Sunni and Shia scholars, including Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltut and Sheikh Abd al-Majid Salim, both of whom served as Grand Imams of Al-Azhar.

In 1959, Al-Azhar, under the leadership of Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltut, took a significant step toward Sunni-Shia rapprochement by issuing a historic fatwa recognizing the Ja‘fari school of thought (Twelver Shia jurisprudence) as a legitimate Islamic school, on equal footing with the four Sunni madhabs.

Al-Azhar: From Shi’a Ismaili center to the Sunna biggest institution in the world

Al-Azhar was founded in 970 CE (359 AH) by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah as part of his efforts to establish Shi'a Ismaili influence in Egypt after the Fatimids conquered the region.

The mosque was named Al-Azhar in honor of Fatimah al-Zahra, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and a revered figure in Shi'a Islam.

It was designed not only as a place of worship but also as a center for Shi'a Ismaili missionary activities or in another simple world Shi’a Ismailia da'wah, spreading Fatimid doctrine across their empire and it did actually for some time.

When the Ayyubid dynasty overthrew the Fatimid Caliphate in 1171, Saladin sought to reestablish Sunni Islam in Egypt. To achieve this, he closed Al-Azhar for nearly a century, halting its role as a Shi’a institution. Instead, he promoted Sunni learning through new madrasas dedicated to the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence.

Al-Azhar remained inactive until the reign of Sultan Baybars (r. 1260–1277) of the Mamluk Sultanate, who reopened and revitalized it as a Sunni institution. Under Mamluk rule, Al-Azhar regained prominence, becoming a leading center for Islamic scholarship and legal studies, a status it maintained through the Ottoman and modern periods.

Under the Mamluks (1250–1517), Al-Azhar reopened and flourished as a leading Sunni center, attracting scholars from across the Muslim world. The Mamluks expanded its curriculum, emphasizing the four Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali).

During the Ottoman period (1517–1798), Al-Azhar became the highest religious authority in Egypt, influencing Islamic scholarship throughout the empire.

Since the French invasion of Egypt (1798-1801), Al-Azhar has played a pivotal role in Egypt's struggle for independence and political awakening especially in Cairo till the 20^th century.

It was a political role that reached its peak in the 1919 Revolution.

Today, Al-Azhar is the most prestigious Sunni Islamic institution, shaping Islamic thought and issuing religious rulings (fatwas) while promoting moderate Islam and interfaith dialogue. The battle of modernity and conservatism is still going on inside it, the battle between radicalism and moderation just like any religious institution.

Following the 1952 Free Officers Movement, Al-Azhar despite it may have seemed to expand in its institution and have a full university lost its independence when its Grand Imam was appointed by the Egyptian presidency, instead of its grand scholars committee that used to choose the Grand Imam from its top scholars.

After the January 2011 Revolution, the Supreme Armed Forces Council decree amended the 1961 law to restore some of Al-Azhar’s independence, recognizing it as an independent institution. The Grand Imam is now elected by Al-Azhar’s Senior Scholars Council through a secret ballot, requiring an absolute majority. Once elected, the president formally appoints him for life but lacks the authority to remove him.

That decree was a turning point for Al-Azhar and its Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb whom in a decade seemed to regain Al-Azhar its position whether in Egypt or abroad.

El-Tayyeb is credited for restoring the position of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar internationally.

We do not have the concept of Papacy in Islam nor do have the same the concept of Ayatollah in Shia Islam in Sunni Islam, but Al-Azhar played an important role in Sunni theology as well as Egypt’s History.

This is just a quick history background as we celebrate its inauguration