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Al-Azhar
University, Cairo
The world's oldest university and
Sunni Islam's foremost seat of learning.
Preface
Al-Azhar university concerns itself with the religious syllabus, which
pays special attention to the Quranic sciences and traditions of the prophet, on
the one hand, while on the other, university teaches all the modern scientific
fields of science . Thus, the university has not only fulfilled its obligations
in these two fields of study but also fulfilled its obligations towards the
Arabic language which is the language of the Holy Quran. In 1961, according to
Al-Azhar university's legislatory law No. 103 new colleges of applied sciences,
such as the faculties of Medicine and engineering, were introduced to Al-Azhar
university. These newly introduced faculties are not duplicates of their
counter- parts in other universities since they combine both the empirical as
well as the religious sciences. Alongside the Egyptian students who are studying
at Al-Azhar university, there are many other students from the various Islamic
and European countries. These foreign Moslem brothers have exactly the same
rights as the Egyptian students.
Al-Azhar University Educational
policy
Al-Azhar University is a natural expansion of the great mosque of Al-Azhar, the oldest and most celebrated of all Islamic academic institutes and
Universities all over the world without exception. For over one thousand year
Al-Azhar was venerated cultural centre for all Muslims in the East and West. Al-Azhar's educational policy is governed and oriented by the following basic
guide lines and principles : The University of Al-Azhar is opened for all Muslim
students who wish to study a particular academic discipline or to further and
deepen their knowledge of Islamic Religion. The University of Al-Azhar is always
attempting to create a kind of intellectual unity between Muslims everywhere in
the Islamic world, it also works hard to cement and strengthen their
relationship and sharpen their loyalty to the Islamic faith. In all its
curriculum and scholarly activities the University is concerned with everything
that can strengthen the spiritual ties of Islam, and revive the national sense
of pride among its people. The University is also keen to remain a guiding light
for Islam and stronghold for the Arab nation, inculcating the Islamic teaching
in the hearts and minds of Muslims, safeguarding its language, serving its
objectives and aims, reforming its cultural heritage, and illuminating it for
the benefit of mankind. Thus the University can perform the great task that Al-Azhar took upon itself throughout the ages, and likewise it keeps Egypt in
its leading and pioneering position among Muslims. The University of Al-Azhar
aims to provide Egypt and the Arabic and Islamic world with scholars and
experts, well equipped with Islamic culture and moral, and well prepared to
serve their societies, and play their role in building up their countries on
faith and scientific basis . To prepare a stock of leading and highly qualified
academicians and scientists for the coming generation in all branches of knowledge
and experience required for life in its spiritual and material sides. To achieve
this goal the university supports the higher studies, creating a new area of
different specializations, providing scholarships in various walks of life to
have the best experiences for the interest of Egypt and all Muslims in the
entire Muslim world. To keep an open eye on the scientific activities and
benefit from them, and to contribute towards scientific progress and development
through establishing and enforcing academic relations between AL-AZHAR
University and the Universities of the entire world. It is also required to have
such relations with research foundations and all other academic and scientific
centres and to exchange academic visits with other universities, inviting the
best of scholars in their fields to deliver lectures, conduct research in all
different specializations. The university of Al-Azhar sends some of its members
of staff from time to time, to catch up with the most recent, and up to date
discoveries and developments in all the different scientific and academic fields
and various research activities.
Historical Background
When Jawhar the Sicilian, commander of the Fatimid troops sent by the
Fatimid Caliph Almuiz to conquer Egypt, founded Cairo in 358 AH / 969 SD he
built Al-Azhar mosque. The mosque was completed in nearly two years. It was
first opened for prayers on 7th of Ramadan 361 A.H/ June 22, 972 AD. Since then
it has become the most well-known mosque in the whole Muslim World, and the
oldest university ever for both religious and secular studies.
Historians differ as to how the mosque got its name. Some hold that it is
called as such because it was surrounded by flourishing mansions at the time
when Cairo was founded. Others believe that it was by then considered as a good
omen of the high status which the mosque was going to attain as a result of the flourishing
studies being conducted in the mosque. A third group believe that it was named
after "Fatima al-Zahraa" the daughter of Prophet Mohamed (peace and
blessing be upon him) to glorify her name. This last explanation sounds the most
likely as Fatimids themselves were called after her.
The Beginning of the Scholarly activities at
Al-Azhar: Three and half years
after its establishment, Al-Azhar began to acquire its academic and scholastic
nature. It was in Ramadan, 365 AH (October 975 AD) during the reign of Al-Muiz
when chief justice Abu El-Hassan Ali ibn Al-Nu'man El-Kairawany sat in the court
of Al-Azhar and read "El-ikhtisar" a book written by his father Abu
Hanifa Al-Nu'man as a reference on Shi'ite law (fiqh). This happened in the
presence of a large audience whose names were recorded in memorial of the
occasion. Abu El-Hassan was the first to be given the title chief Justice. This
was the first Seminar to be held at Al-Azhar which was followed by many others.
Those seminars were religious, however they had political overtones. At the
beginning of the reign of Al-Aziz Billah, Al-Azhar made great strides towards
real academic studies. Jacob ibn Killis, the minister of Al-Mu'eiz and later of
Al-Aziz read his 'Al-Risalah Al-Azizyah' on Shi'ite law. He later developed
studies at Al-Azhar when he appointed thirty seven Jurists. He gave them monthly
salaries and build them houses near Al-Azhar. During the Fatimid period, Al-Azhar was an essential part of the intellectual life. Beside the usual
seminars, moral education sessions were held for women. Al-Azhar was also the
official seat of judges on certain days and the accountant or chief tax
collector "Muhtasib" for nearly two centuries. Since the collapse of
Islamic Cultural Centres in Baghdad and Andalusia at the greatest centre for
Arabic and Islamic studies all over the world.
Right from the beginning, the seminars held at
Al-Azhar were of purely
academic nature. They were inherently characterized by free scientific
discussions and scholarships. There was also the system of instructors and
visiting professors. Such activities worked later as the foundations of the
University academic system, which became known later in both East and west.
Hence, Al-Azhar has duly come to be known as the oldest religious university all
over the world.
Although Al-Azhar ceased to function either as a university or as a mosque
for nearly a century, during the Ayyubid reign studies were conducted in the
same way as they were during the Fatimid period. However, they were mainly
religious and linguistic. During the Mamluks period 648-922 A.H/ 1250-1517 A.D,
Al-Azhar assumed new responsibilities towards the Muslim world.
As a result of Mughul attacks on central Asia and the shrinkage of Muslim
rule in Andalusia, Al-Azhar became the only shelter for the scholars who were
forced out of their homeland. Those scholars helped Al-Azhar to reach the apex
of its glory during the eighth and ninth centuries A.H (14th and 15th centuries
A.D). It should be mentioned here that Al-Azhar played an important role in the
development of natural sciences. Some of Al-Azhar scholars studied medicine,
mathematics, Astronomy, geography and history. They put much effort to advance
these sciences even in times of political and intellectual deterioration and
stagnation.
Under the Ottomans, Al-Azhar was financially independent because of the Waqfs
(endowments), the scholars were free to choose their fields of study and the
text books. Thus Al-Azhar had its own free identity and became a leading Islamic
and Arabic centre.
It attracted many teachers as well as many students from all over the Islamic
world. It is worth mentioning that the Ottomans never appointed one of them as
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. This high position entirely left for the Egyptians. When
Bonaparte attacked Egypt in (1213 A.H / July 1789 A.D) he looked upon Al-Azhar
as the most well-known university in the whole Islamic world. During his exile
at Saint. Helena he wrote in his dairy that Al-Azhar was the counterpart of
Sorbonne in Paris. He looked highly upon Al-Azhar Ulama as the elite of the
educated class and as the leaders of the people. When he first set foot in Cairo
he formed a special council (diwan) to govern the capital. That council
consisted of nine eminent Sheikhs under the chairmanship of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sharkawi, the grand Imam of
Al-Azhar at that time. The formation of this
council stands as an evidences of the importance of Al-Azhar and the high status
of its Ulama .
However, Al-Azhar was the meeting place for the opponents of the French
occupation and the seat of the revolution. A special revolutionary committee was
formed under the leadership of Sheikh Mohamed El-Sadat. When the revolution
broke out against the French, the grand Imam and the Ulama Decided that it was
impossible to carry on their studies, so they closed the mosque.
This has been the only time for Al-Azhar to be closed over its long history.
When the French evacuated three years later, Al-Azhar resumed its normal
activities and received its teachers and students. When Mohammad Ali took over
the rule of Egypt in 1220 A.H 1805 A.D he planned to set up a modern state. To
achieve his aim he greatly depended on Al-Azhar. He sent scholarships from among
the students of Al-Azhar to Europe. These students were the pioneers who raised
high the banner of the modern renaissance in Egypt. Most of the leading figures
including the leader of the Orabi revolution were graduates of Al-Azhar. This
also applied to the leader of 1919 revolution, Saad Zaghloul as well as many
other leading personalities, Mohamed Abdu and El-Manfaloty for example completed
their studies at Al-Azhar. The most significant incident was the meeting of both
Muslim Ulama and Christian priests in the porticos of Al-Azhar addressing people
from the pulpit of Al-Azhar .
When the 1952 revolution took place, Al-Azhar was one of the society that has
been modernized and developed so that it can effectively carry out its
illuminating role for the welfare not only of Egypt, but also of the Arab and
whole Islamic world.
Contact Al-Azhar
University Address Any inquiries of correspondence should be addressed to
the president of "AL-AZHAR" University Madinat Nasr, Cairo, The Arab
Republic of Egypt.
Cairo :2611419 - 2623278
Telex :21945
Fax :2611404
Email Azhar@azhar.eun.eg
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