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During a telephone call today, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and His Eminence Professor Dr. Ahmed Al‑Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al‑Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, discussed ongoing and prospective joint initiatives between the United Arab Emirates’ institutions and Al‑Azhar. The conversation focused particularly on efforts to promote the values of coexistence and dialogue among diverse peoples and cultures—efforts that contribute to strengthening peace and stability across the region and the wider world.

The two leaders also exchanged warm greetings ahead of the blessed month of Ramadan, praying that Almighty Allah makes it a month filled with blessings and goodness for the United Arab Emirates and the Arab Republic of Egypt, for their two fraternal peoples, and for all humanity, bringing with it peace and stability.

His Eminence the Grand Imam expressed his sincere gratitude and profound appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the UAE’s continuous support for Al‑Azhar and its global mission. He prayed that Allah protect His Highness and grant the UAE and its people enduring progress, prosperity, and well‑being.

The Grand Imam also underscored the significance of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and its vital role in recognizing and honoring efforts worldwide that promote coexistence, cooperation, dialogue, and human fraternity.

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conveyed his appreciation to His Eminence the Grand Imam, praising the essential role he and Al‑Azhar play in presenting the true, noble message of Islam, fostering fraternity and peace, and countering misconceptions promoted by those who seek to distort the image of the religion. His Highness further highlighted the deep scholarly, spiritual, and historical ties that connect the people of the UAE with Al‑Azhar and its distinguished scholars.

The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Professor Dr. Ahmed Al‑Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al‑Azhar, extends its heartfelt congratulations to the Arab and Islamic nations on the occasion of the Night of Mid‑Sha’ban, praying that Almighty Allah grants this blessed occasion to the Arab and Islamic nations—and to all humanity—with goodness, blessings, and peace.

The Muslim Council of Elders affirms that the Night of Mid‑Sha’ban is a significant spiritual milestone in the collective consciousness of the Islamic Ummah and a renewed opportunity for self‑reflection, the revival of mercy and forgiveness, and the upholding of human dignity.

The Council adds that this blessed night reminds Muslims of the importance of purifying the heart, strengthening the spirit of moral responsibility, and drawing people closer together—especially in a world of mounting challenges and an urgent need to elevate the values of wisdom, justice, and peaceful coexistence.

The Muslim Council of Elders calls on all to seize this occasion to spread a culture of love, reject hatred and intolerance, reinforce the values of human fraternity, and translate faith‑inspired principles into practical action that serves communities, enhances stability, and builds peace.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders held its twelfth cultural seminar at the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, under the title: “Al Azhar and Islamic Dialogue: Requirements for Responding to the Call of the People of the Qibla.”

The seminar featured Professor Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayyad, Grand Mufti of Egypt, and Dr. Samir Boudinar, Director of the Hikma Center for Peace Research. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Mohamed Mahmoud Shaaban, a faculty member at Al Azhar University.

At the beginning of the seminar, Professor Dr. Nazir Mohamed Ayyad emphasized that uniting the Islamic Ummah is neither an intellectual luxury nor a secondary matter. He noted that the world today is undergoing rapid transformations and complex challenges, which place greater responsibility on institutions concerned with dialogue. He explained that achieving unity depends on several key mechanisms, including objective engagement with the texts of revelation, confronting deviant fatwas, correcting misconceptions, and promoting a culture of understanding and dialogue among different schools of thought and intellectual trends.

The Grand Mufti of Egypt also highlighted that scholars of Islamic civilization presented pioneering models of sound interpretation of religious texts, contributing to healing divisions and uniting the Ummah. He cited Imam Abu al Hasan al Ashari, founder of the Ashari school, who, upon his death, advised one of his students:
“Bear witness that I do not declare any of the People of the Qibla disbelievers, for all point to one God, and all differences are merely differences in expression.”

He further noted that the “Call of the People of the Qibla” represents a comprehensive, consensus based initiative involving scholars, thinkers, and muftis from across the Islamic world, aimed at confronting sectarian strife and shared challenges and reuniting the Ummah. He stressed the importance of academic institutions studying the document in depth to strengthen Islamic unity and address the causes of division.

For his part, Dr. Samir Boudinar explained that the “Call of the People of the Qibla” is not merely a text or statement, but a profound vision rooted in Islamic heritage, particularly the Ashari theological tradition to which the majority of Muslim scholars belong, based on the principle of not declaring any of the People of the Qibla as disbelievers. He emphasized the need to re establish unity through reviving Ashari intellectual heritage, along with integrating religious and human sciences to achieve the document’s objectives.

Boudinar added that the initiative seeks to open horizons of dialogue among people to remove misconceptions and dispel distorted stereotypes, warning that the absence of dialogue could leave the Ummah vulnerable to those who seek to exploit its divisions.

He also pointed out that history teaches that the Ummah has often been targeted through division and fragmentation, while its moments of strength and victory were tied to unity, knowledge, and awareness of divine laws. Unity, he affirmed, has always been and will remain the source of the Ummah’s strength.

It is worth noting that the “Call of the People of the Qibla” is one of the key outcomes of the first edition of the Intra Islamic Dialogue Conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in February 2025 under the gracious patronage of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and attended by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, with the participation of more than 400 scholars and religious leaders from across the Islamic world.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating with a dedicated pavilion at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, running from 21 January to 3 February 2026. The pavilion features a wide range of the Council’s publications, in addition to organizing numerous seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting values of goodness, love, peace, and coexistence among all people.

The Muslim Council of Elders’ pavilion is located next to the Al Azhar pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in New Cairo.

The Muslim Council of Elders held its eleventh seminar at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, titled “Toward a Philosophy that Establishes an Age of Wisdom: A Reading in the Book ‘Grasping the Wind – Reflections on Science, Revelation, and Philosophy’ with participation of the book’s author, Dr. Mostafa Hejazi. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Smir Boudinar, Director of the Al Hokama Center for Peace Research.

The seminar offered an analytical reading of ‘Grasping the Wind’, highlighting key intellectual themes the book raises in the fields of science, revelation, and philosophy. It also explored how to build a balanced epistemological vision that contributes to reinforcing the concept of wisdom and strengthening civilizational awareness amid rapidly evolving knowledge landscapes.

Dr. Mostafa Hejazi explained that the book targets writers, educators, and thinkers who seek to revive a new humanistic discourse—one that addresses the mind not to dazzle it, but to stimulate it, and speaks to the spirit not to immerse it in moralizing, but to awaken its innate sense of wonder.

In a philosophical reflection, Dr. Hejazi noted that the book was written specifically for those driven by intellectual restlessness—those searching for an equilibrium between spirit and matter, and those who fear being in a state of understanding without wisdom, faith without intellect, action without thought, or a path without purpose.

He explained that the essence of the book revolves around the search for the “missing questions of truth,” noting that technological advancement has, in some cases, overtaken the human mind, causing it to surrender to appearances. Meanwhile, others remain confined to past eras, clinging to time rather than place, holding on to understandings humanity has long surpassed. He addressed the “fragmented human being,” stressing that one does not need to choose between zero‑sum dualities, but must “resume contemplation”: revelation does not conflict with science, science is incomplete without purpose, and philosophy is an essential means.

The seminar concluded with a signing ceremony for ‘Grasping the Wind’, offering attendees an open discussion with the author about the book’s ideas and themes, enriching cultural engagement and deepening scholarly dialogue.

‘Grasping the Wind – Reflections on Science, Revelation, and Philosophy’ is among the latest 2026 releases of Al Hokama’ Publishing. The book contains several key chapters, including: Philosophical Lineage – When Does the Word Become Necessary? Between Two Humanisms; Who Is This Book For? Reflections on Existence, Time, and Meaning; Maqāṣidī Thought – The Philosophy of Contextual Purposiveness; Margins on the Text of Wisdom – Some of the Questions of Truth – On Science, Thought, and Creativity.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026. The Council’s pavilion features a wide array of publications, in addition to a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders is located next to the Al‑Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in the Fifth Settlement.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders held its tenth cultural seminar at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, titled “The Contemporary Relevance of Sibawayh and the Arabic of Our Time,” with the participation of Professor Dr. Abdel Fattah Habib, Professor of Linguistics at Al‑Azhar University. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Rabee’ Al‑Ghafir, also a Professor of Linguistics at Al‑Azhar University.

The seminar explored Sibawayh’s prominent position in the heritage of Arabic linguistics, the impact of his contributions on understanding contemporary Arabic, and the role of linguistic scholarship in preserving the authenticity of the language while enabling it to meet the needs of the modern era.

Professor Dr. Abdel Fattah Habib stated that Sibawayh possessed extraordinary intellect and a powerful, authoritative scholarly reasoning. He noted that his book is a foundational reference for scholars past and present. He emphasized that anyone engaging in any branch of Arabic or Islamic sciences must begin with a thorough study of Sibawayh’s book prior to delving deeper into their chosen field.

He added that everything in Sibawayh’s book is governed by a precise scientific methodology. He stressed that the sequence of examples in the work was not random, but rather reflected a well‑established method for shaping linguistic reasoning. He explained that the intellectual training fostered by the book stems from Sibawayh’s mastery of analogical reasoning, in which he reached an advanced level of scholarly distinction.

Professor Habib also highlighted that the book must be read patiently and deliberately due to the depth and richness of its scholarly content. He noted that interest in the work has never waned since its appearance; it has remained a subject of careful study among scholars and students—both publicly and privately—throughout the centuries. He pointed to two notable critical editions of the book: one by Sheikh Abd al‑Salam Haroun of Egypt, and another by Professor Muhammad Al‑Bakka’ of Iraq.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026. The pavilion showcases a wide range of the Council’s publications, alongside a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders is located next to the Al‑Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in the Fifth Settlement.

The Muslim Council of Elders’ Pavilion held its ninth cultural seminar at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, titled “A Reading of the Book ‘Abd Al-Karim Al-Jili and His Status in Islamic Sufi Thought,” authored by Najah Al-Ghanimi. The seminar featured Professor Dr. Suhair Al-Feel, Professor of Creed and Philosophy at Al-Azhar University, and was moderated by Dr. Mohamed Mash’al, faculty member at Al-Azhar University.

The seminar discussed the contributions of Imam Abd Al-Karim Al-Jili to Islamic Sufi thought and the impact of his works in establishing spiritual and intellectual values, highlighting his scholarly position within Islamic heritage.

The discussion revealed that the author adopted a threefold methodological approach in studying Al-Jili’s thought: a historical, analytical, and comparative method. This rigorous approach was deemed among the most precise and appropriate for the subject, as relying solely on historical developmental analysis would not sufficiently address the issue of originality. Likewise, exclusive reliance on philological textual criticism would not yield decisive results. Therefore, the integration of both methods proved essential, complemented by the comparative approach whenever necessary to better understand the school of thought, verify its authenticity, and identify points of agreement and divergence with earlier traditions.

Professor Suhair Al-Feel explained that the author collected a wide range of documents, texts, and sources related to the study, most of which were manuscripts dispersed across libraries worldwide. The research extended beyond Al-Jili’s own writings to include texts by his students and commentators, as well as works by Ibn Arabi and prominent figures of his school who preceded Al-Jili, in addition to utilizing foreign sources that addressed Al-Jili’s life and Sufi doctrine.

It is worth noting that the book “Abd Al-Karim Al-Jili and His Status in Islamic Sufi Thought,” by Najah Mahmoud Al-Ghanimi, is published by Al-Hokma Publishing and is available at the Muslim Council of Elders’ Pavilion at the Cairo International Book Fair 2026.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating with a dedicated pavilion at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026. The pavilion features a wide range of the Council’s distinguished publications, alongside a series of seminars, activities, and events aimed at promoting the values of goodness, love, peace, and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The Muslim Council of Elders’ Pavilion is located next to the Al-Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibitions and Conferences Centre in the Fifth Settlement.

The Muslim Council of Elders held its eighth cultural seminar at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, titled “Marginalia: Methods and Misconceptions,” with the participation of Sheikh Fawzi Konaté.

The seminar aimed to offer a methodological and scholarly examination of “marginalia” (ḥawāshī) in Islamic heritage, highlighting how they should be approached and addressing the academic concerns raised about them—ensuring that the Islamic intellectual tradition is both preserved and critically assessed through rigorous scholarly standards.

During the seminar, Sheikh Fawzi Konaté explained that linguistically the term “ḥāshiya” refers to the edge or margin of something, and over time it became a conventional term for what is written on the margins of a manuscript. He clarified that marginalia fall into two types: marginal notes on commentaries and marginal notes on primary texts. He noted that before the 10th century AH, most marginalia were written on primary texts, while after the 10th century AH, marginalia increasingly appeared on commentaries.

Regarding the origins and development of marginalia, Konaté highlighted that marginal notes often first appear on a student’s personal copy of a book, reflecting what he received from his teacher during the reading of the text. He explained that marginalia became available to the wider scholarly community in several ways: either the scholar compiles them himself, others compile them during his lifetime, or his students collect them after his passing.

Konaté also explained that scholars who wrote marginalia aimed to supplement what the commentator may have overlooked, clarify points that were obscure or concealed in the author’s intent, or correct errors and lapses. He summarized the purposes of marginalia into three principal functions: clarifications, verifications, and critical refinements.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026 with a large selection of the Council’s distinguished publications, along with a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders is located next to the Al‑Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in the Fifth Settlement.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders at the Cairo International Book Fair held its sixth cultural seminar, titled “The Digital Age and the Reshaping of Literary Taste,” with the participation of Professor Dr. Salama Dawood, President of Al‑Azhar University, in the presence of a distinguished audience of intellectuals, researchers, and students.

The seminar shed light on the challenges that digital transformations impose on literary taste, and how literary creativity can endure amid modern technology, with a focus on balancing authenticity and contemporary approaches in the reception of knowledge.

Dr. Salama Dawood emphasized that nurturing talent and refining literary taste are the result of a cumulative journey that begins with extensive reading, structured memorization, and exposure to elevated examples drawn from the finest classical texts and eloquent poetry. This, combined with training the mind to balance and compare different styles and texts, develops within the reader a “rhetorical faculty” that enables distinguishing between what is refined and what is inferior.

The President of Al‑Azhar University warned against being swept away by the language used by some on social media platforms, which has had a negative impact on the literary taste of the current generation. He pointed out that a person is shaped by what they read and hear; if one regularly hears articulate and elevated speech, a refined sense of language develops, whereas habitual exposure to crude language corrupts one’s linguistic and literary faculty.

In an important remark, Dr. Dawood also stressed that cultivating literary taste is not merely an “intellectual luxury” but a necessity. He explained that an inability to appreciate literature or distinguish between what is fine and what is coarse leads inevitably to an inability to sense the rhetorical miracle of the Qur’an and to recognize the superiority of Allah’s words over human speech.

Dr. Salama Dawood concluded his remarks by linking the success of educational institutions—schools, institutes, and universities—to their ability to cultivate this “rhetorical faculty” in students. He affirmed that the capacity to appreciate what is spoken and heard is the true measure of success within the educational process.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026 with a wide range of the Council’s publications, alongside a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders is located next to the Al‑Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in the Fifth Settlement.

The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al‑Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al‑Azhar, affirms that peaceful coexistence among people of different religions, cultures, and ethnicities is a fundamental pillar for ensuring the security and stability of societies—especially in light of the challenges the world faces today.

In a statement issued on the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence—observed for the first time this year on January 28—the Council emphasized that fostering coexistence rests on mutual respect, the recognition of shared human dignity, and the rejection of hate speech, violence, exclusion, and Islamophobia. The statement noted that religions and divine laws, in the essence of their messages, were revealed to uphold the values of mercy, justice, and peace, and to promote understanding and cooperation among all people.

The statement added that the conflicts and escalating challenges the world is witnessing today require intensified international efforts to strengthen dialogue, build bridges of communication between peoples, empower younger generations to embrace the values of coexistence and mutual respect, and confront extremist ideologies.

The Muslim Council of Elders calls on religious and intellectual leaders, policymakers, and educational and media institutions to fulfill their responsibilities in promoting peaceful coexistence, reinforcing the values of full citizenship, and working collectively to build a more just and peaceful world—one in which human dignity is at the heart of policies and development programs.

The Council places great importance on embedding the values of peaceful coexistence through a wide range of initiatives and efforts that promote dialogue, tolerance, and human fraternity. Notable examples include East–West Dialogue, Intra–Islamic Dialogue, and the Emerging Peacemakers Forum, in addition to numerous programs and publications that reaffirm the Council’s commitment to advancing a culture of peace and strengthening human fraternity. This commitment is grounded in the Council’s firm conviction that peaceful coexistence is the most effective path to safeguarding human dignity and achieving security, stability, and sustainable development.

ic jurisprudential sciences with modern scientific knowledge to advance human welfare and to build civilizational awareness grounded in a balance between religious values and contemporary needs. The discussion highlighted how such integration enhances human development and addresses modern challenges with a comprehensive vision.

In his remarks, Dr. Abbas Shoman emphasized the deep connection between Islamic law and all other sciences. He explained that religious and worldly sciences are inseparable and noted that issuing a legal opinion (fatwa) often requires reference to various other disciplines, such as economics and medicine. He added that jurisprudence may at times rely on the determinations of specialists in different scientific fields. Dr. Shoman also pointed to the Islamic Research Academy as a model of knowledge integration due to its diverse membership of experts in both religious and scientific fields, enabling the development of jurisprudence that is attentive to contemporary issues and developments.

For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Seddik stated that the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah call for the integration of different fields of knowledge. He referred to the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) guidance in certain hadiths to prevent mixing between the sick and the healthy—an instruction that modern medical institutions endorse today to limit the spread of disease.

The Vice President of Al‑Azhar University explained that the life sciences, especially medical sciences, complement jurisprudential studies to ensure that human life can continue in a sound manner. He noted that the jurist sometimes sets boundaries for the physician’s decisions, just as the jurist needs the insights of medical and scientific specialists before issuing legal opinions. He explained that jurists at the Islamic Research Academy regularly consult specialists in medicine, genetics, economics, and other modern sciences and engage in extensive discussions with them before issuing fatwas or ruling on contemporary issues. This approach, he added, reflects the authenticity of Islamic thought and its openness to diverse fields of knowledge.

The Muslim Council of Elders is participating at the 57th Cairo International Book Fair, held from 21 January to 3 February 2026 with a large selection of the Council’s distinguished publications, along with a series of seminars, activities, and events focused on promoting the values of peace and peaceful coexistence among all people.

The pavilion of the Muslim Council of Elders is located next to the Al‑Azhar Pavilion in Heritage Hall No. 4 at the Egypt International Exhibition and Convention Center in the Fifth Settlement.