The Legacy of Egypt’s Grand Muftis: From Dr. Nazir Ayyad to Ahmed El-Tayeb
Just recently, Dr. Nazir Ayyad was appointed as the new Grand Mufti for a four-year term. This is the title given to the highest religious legal figure in a country practising Sunni Islam.
In Egypt, the Grand Mufti interprets Islamic Law (Sharia) and advises the Egyptian judiciary on matters or situations when secular and religious law overlap.
As Dr. Nazir Ayyad steps into the role of Grand Mufti, we’ll take a look at his career alongside a retrospective look at the past Grand Muftis who have shaped the position and its impact on Egyptian society.
Nazir Ayyad
Ayyad has become the new Grand Mufti after being nominated by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb.
Before his new appointment, he served as the secretary-general of Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Academy and as a professor of Creed and Philosophy in the Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate.
Prior to becoming a professor, throughout his academic career, he started off as a teaching assistant and progressed to an assistant lecturer, then a lecturer, and then an associate professor.
Shawki Allam
Before Ayyad became the Grand Mufti, he was preceded by Shawki Allam, the 19th Grand Mufti of Egypt, who was appointed the role in February 2013. As Grand Mufti, he was the primary source of religious authority and issued fatwas through Dar Al Ifta.
Just like Ayyad, Allam established an academic career as a professor of Islamic jurisprudence and law at Al-Azhar University. He is also a prolific writer, having penned over 50 books on Islamic Law. He is respected and recognized as a promoter of interfaith understanding and for combating violent extremism.
Ali Gomaa
Known as an Egyptian Islamic scholar, jurist, and public figure, Ali Gomaa was the Grand Mufti from 2003 until 2013. He is considered one of the foremost Islamic scholars in the world who, according to The New Yorker, was seen as someone who “highly promoted champion of moderate Islam.”
Ahmed el-Tayeb
Following Mohamed Sayyid Tantawy’s death in 2002, Ahmed el-Tayeb was appointed Grand Mufti. He was also the president of Al Azhar for seven years.
As a religious scholar, he taught in Saudi, Qatari and Emirati universities. He also pushed for women’s liberation and freedom. For example, he validated women’s ability to take on leadership positions in the corporate world and also their right to travel without a guardian.
Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy
From 1986 to 1996, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, the influential Islamic scholar, was the Grand Mufti. In 1996, former president Hosni Mubarak appointed Tantawy the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and he served until his death in 2010.
One of his many accomplishments is completing a seven-thousand-page exegesis of the Qur’an (tafsir waste), which took him 10 years to complete.
Taking an over-the-year look at the Grand Muftis of Egypt showcases their impact and role as Islamic leaders in Egypt and how each one had their own special impact on the community.
