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Al-Azhar University
The world's
oldest university and Sunni Islam's foremost seat of learning
Al-Azhar
university concerns itself with the religious syllabus, which
pays special attention to the Qur'anic 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.
Al-Azhar Faculties:
Faculties for Boys
A- In Cairo
1.
Faculty of Islamic Theology.
2.
Faculty of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law.
3.
Faculty of Arabic Language.
4.
Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies.
5.
Faculty of Da'wa, Islamic Call.
6.
Faculty of Education.
7.
Faculty of Languages and Translation.
8.
Faculty of Science.
9.
Faculty of Medicine.
10.
Faculty of Pharmacy.
11.
Faculty of Dentistry.
12.
Faculty of Agriculture.
13.
Faculty of Commerce.
14.
Faculty of Engineering.
B- The Regions
1.
Faculty of Islamic Theology and Da'wa in Assiut.
2.
Faculty of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law in Assiut.
3.
Faculty of Arabic Language in Assiut.
4.
Faculty of Islamic Theology and Da'wa in Zagazig.
5.
Faculty of Islamic Arabic Language in Zagazig.
6.
Faculty of Islamic Theology and Da'wa in
Tanta.
7.
Faculty of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law in
Tanta.
8.
Faculty of Islamic Theology and Da'wa in Mansoura.
9.
Faculty of Arabic Language in Mansoura.
10.
Faculty of Islamic Theology and Da'wa in Menofiya.
11.
Faculty of Arabic Language in Shebin El-Koum.
12.
Faculty of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law in Damanhour.
13.
Faculty of Arabic Language in Damanhour (Itia El-Baroud).
14.
Faculty of Medicine in Assiut.
15.
Faculty of Dentistry in Assiut.
16.
Faculty of Pharmacy in Assiut.
17.
Faculty of Science in Assiut.
18.
Faculty of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law in Al-Menofiya.
19.
Faculty of Arabic Language in Girga.
20.
Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Qina.
21.
Faculty of Islamic Studies for Boys in
Aswan.
22.
Faculty of Arabic Studies for Boys in Diemyiat.
23.
Faculty of Agriculture in Assiut.
24.
Faculty of Quranic Studies in
Tanta.
Faculty for Girls
A- In Cairo
1.
Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
2.
Faculty of Humanities.
3.
Faculty of Medicine.
4.
Faculty of Science.
5.
Faculty of Commerce.
B- Governorates
1.
Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Assiut.
2.
Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Suhag.
3.
Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in
Alexandria.
4.
Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Mansoura.
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
http://www.alazhar.org/english/index.htm |
