Date of source: 4 Apr 2024
On Thursday (April 4), Dr. Andrēa Zakī, Head of the Coptic Evangelical denomination, inaugurated the 6th edition of the 1,000 Evangelical Servants Conference under the title ‘The Standard Servant’, at the Coptic Evangelical House (Agape) in Wādī al-Naṭrūn.
The event was attended by more than 1,500...
Date of source: 1 Apr 2024
A senior clergyman in Jerusalem noted that the holy city has always been a significant destination for pilgrims during Easter, but this year, Archbishop William Shomaly, the Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, highlighted a substantial decrease in...
Date of source: 9 Apr 2024
Date of source: 7 Mar 2024
On March 7, 2024, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawāḍrūs, and attended by 110 of the current 133 members, held its general meeting at the LOGOS Center of the Papal Residence in St. Bīshūy Monastery, Wādī al-Naṭrūn, Egypt.
The pope gave an introduction, speaking about the...
Date of source: 30 Mar 2024
Christian churches following the Western calendar are celebrating Holy Saturday on March 30 with a mass to be led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
This year’s celebrations saw a smaller turnout compared to previous years, as thousands...
Date of source: 3 Apr 2024
The Episcopal Church Diocese hosted an ifṭār banquet attended by esteemed guests such as Dr. Sāmī Fawzī, Archbishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Church of Alexandria, and Dr. Munīr Ḥannā, the honorary archbishop the Episcopal Church and Chairman of the Center of Christian-Muslim Understanding &...
Date of source: 28 Mar 2024
A senior official of al-Azhar said that Muslims must seek moral lessons from the stories of the Holy Qurʾān.
“The story of the Prophet Moses has been mentioned in the Qurʾān several times. One of the things we can learn from the story of Moses is the moral lesson concerning the pursuit of knowledge...
Date of source: 30 Mar 2024
Dr. Salāma Dāwūd, President of al-Azhar University, highlighted that we are now entering the final third of the fasting month of Ramaḍān, with March 30 marking the beginning of the odd nights of the last 10 days.
[D.A.B Editorial Note: Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of the Decree, is traditionally...
Date of source: 23 Mar 2024
The Monastery of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Beloved conducted prayers to commemorate the acceptance of three individuals into monasticism, following their successful completion of the probationary period for joining the group of monks in the monastery.
Anbā Maqqār, Archbishop of al-Sharqīya...
Date of source: 24 Mar 2024
Shaykh Khālid al-Jamal, a preacher at the Ministry of Awqāf (Religious Endowments), commended the idea of the program Nūr al-Dīn (Light of Religion) by Dr. ʿAlī Jumʿa, the former Grand Muftī of Egypt, describing it as wonderful, and saying that the senior scholar has touched on several important...
Date of source: 19 Mar 2024
On March 19th, Grand Imām Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb will mark 14 years of leadership at the helms of al-Azhar, the preeminent Islamic institution globally and the foremost Sunni establishment for Muslims worldwide.
Since assuming leadership of al-Azhar in 2010 following the passing of the late Imām Dr....
Date of source: 17 Mar 2024
A legal representative for Aḥmad Ḥijāzī, who is facing charges of contempt of religion, contested the validity of the prosecution’s investigation into a video clip depicting Hijazī reciting the Qurʾān with the verses melodized to the tunes of the ʿūd (Arab lute).
The lawyer asserted that his client...
Date of source: 10 Mar 2024
For the second consecutive year, the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, is hosting his Ramaḍān TV program titled Al-Imām al-Ṭayyīb, produced by the Muslim Council of Elders.
According to the official Facebook page of al-Azhar, the program will explore the 99 Fairest Attributes of God in...
Date of source: 19 Mar 2024
The former grand muftī of Egypt, Dr. ʿAlī Jumʿa, emphasized the necessity for the discourse addressed to the people to be centered on mercy and love rather than hatred, adding that it is possible that God might abolish Hell and grant entry to all humans into Heaven, as claimed by many scholars.
“...
Date of source: 20 Mar 2024
Recent statements by Dr. ʿAlī Jumʿa, the former grand muftī of Egypt, have stirred public opinion on social media, particularly regarding the possibility of bypassing torment in the afterlife.
He made these remarks during his Ramaḍān TV show Nūr al-Dīn as part of a dialogue with children and...
Date of source: 30 Mar 2024
Al-Azhar Mosque has been preparing diligently to receive worshippers during the last ten days of the holy month of Ramaḍān.
[D.A.B Editorial Note: The significance of the last 10 days of Ramaḍān is because it is believed that Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power) falls within these days, which marks the...
Date of source: 23 Mar 2024
Egyptians frequently visit Dār al-Iftāʾ (The Iftāʾ House) seeking guidance on matters related to fasting during the holy Muslim month of Ramaḍān, including the question of whether smoking invalidates fasting.
In its answer, Dār al-Iftāʾ said, “Smoking, in addition to being a reprehensible habit and...
Date of source: 23 Mar 2024
The Egyptian Episcopal Church’s development center held a concluding ceremony for its awareness-raising campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM), in association with Mind Medicine Australia (MMA).
The ceremony at the All-Saints Cathedral in the district of al-Zamālik was attended by Dr....
Date of source: 11 Mar 2024
Al-Azhar, under the leadership of Grand Imām Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, has been committed to preserving the moderate nature of Islam, despite efforts by extremists on either side to undermine and distort its image through their troubled understanding of Islamic teachings.
The Grand Imām has taken a...
Date of source: 13 Mar 2024
Al-Azhar Mosque has received a large number of foreign students and worshippers to have ifṭār (fast-breaking), hosting the largest banquet for fasting Muslims in Egypt and providing 5,000 meals.
Throughout the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, al-Azhar is organizing a daily mass ifṭār banquet for...
Date of source: 11 Mar 2024
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Shawqī ʿAllām, has established the financial value of fidya for abstaining from fasting for one day during the holy Muslim month of Ramaḍān as EGP30.
[D.A.B Editorial Note: Fidya is a religious donation to help those in need. It is only paid when a Muslim is unable to fast...
Date of source: 19 Mar 2024
Former Grand Muftī of Egypt, ʿAlī Gomʿa, stirred up controversy during an episode of his Ramaḍān program ‘Nūr el-Dīn’ that is aired on Egyptian satellite channels.
In the latest episode, aired last Tuesday, the former mufti said, “We find many people talking about the torture of the grave and the...
Date of source: 9 Mar 2024
Pope Tawāḍrūs II of the Coptic Orthodox Church thanked President ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Sīsī for his congratulations to the Egyptian people on the occasion of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramaḍān and the Great Lent.
The Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark conveyed these sentiments during a speech...
Date of source: 15 Mar 2024
The Coptic Orthodox Church commenced the Great Lent on March 11, which will continue until Easter 2024.
The starting date of the Great Lent, or Great Fast, varies from year to year based on the date of Easter. This calculation ensures that the Lenten period does not coincide with the day of the...
Date of source: 16 Mar 2024
On Sunday (March 17), al-Azhar is celebrating its 1,084th anniversary, coinciding with the 7th of the Muslim Hijri calendar month of Ramaḍān. The event will be attended by several senior scholars and figures of al-Azhar.
The celebration will feature activities including lectures on the history of...
Date of source: 18 Feb 2024
The Islamic Research Academy, in collaboration with the Nursultan Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter Civilizational Dialogue (NNCIICD) in the Republic of Kazakhstan, is hosting a symposium titled ‘The Importance of Interfaith and Civilizational Dialogue in Promoting Awareness...
Date of source: 17 Mar 2024
“Egypt has lost a rare man in circumstances that are delicate and that are in need of the judgement, clarity, and experience of the minds of the wise. This man was not only known for his patriotic stances, charitable personality, and tireless efforts on a national level, but also for his commitment...
Date of source: 16 Mar 2024
The Grand Imām of al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Sheikh Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, exchanged greetings over the blessed month of Ramadan with Sheikh Muḥammad bin Zāyīd Āl-Nahyān, president of the United Arab Emirates, during a telephone call where they both prayed to God that this...
Date of source: 17 Mar 2024
Al-Azhar expressed its welcoming and appreciation for the decision taken by the UN concerning making efforts towards combatting Islamophobia or hatred towards Islam, and sending a special UN envoy for combatting this phenomenon. The UN also condemns any speech or action that may contribute to the...
Date of source: 15 Mar 2024
The Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Sheikh Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, said, “Of the names of God, ‘Justice’ is one of the Most Beautiful, as it is against inequality and injustice; this means that He who owns all, Allāh, Glory be to Him, does not commit injustice. The name of ‘Justice’ does not appear in the Qurʾān...
Date of source: 27 Feb 2024
Dr. Aḥmad ʿUmar Hāshim, the former president of al-Azhar University and a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, emphasized the distinguished history of al-Azhar, attributing to it the safeguarding of “the most honorable culture that has illuminated humanity.”
“History has never forgotten the...
Date of source: 17 Feb 2024
Veteran journalist, Ibrāhīm ʿĪsā, highlighted the pressing need for Egyptians to prioritize the preservation of rational thinking, which he said is a fundamental objective of Islamic sharīʿa.
“In the light of current crises and the economic problem we are going through, we must acknowledge that we...
Date of source: 1 Mar 2024
Dr. Saʿd al-Dīn al-Hilālī, a renowned professor of comparative fiqh (jurisprudence) at al-Azhar University, emphasized the need for a religious discourse that fosters unity and avoids divisive tendencies, adding that fatwās represent the convictions of those issuing them, and are therefore not...
Date of source: 3 Mar 2024
Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Academy, Dr. Naẓīr ʿAyyād, chaired the 3rd session of AlBaraka Forum for Islamic Economy during its 44th edition, held in the Saudi city of Medina under the title ‘Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿa: The Governing Framework of Islamic Economics.’
“The title of this forum...
Date of source: 13 Mar 2024
The Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Sheikh Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, condemned the terrorist attack that resulted in the killing of 3 monks through the targeting of the Monastery of Saint Mark the Apostle and Saint Bishop Samuel of the Coptic Orthodox Church in South Africa.
The Sheikh of al-Azhar stressed that...
Date of source: 29 Feb 2024
Sūhāj University President, Ḥassān al-Nuʿmānī, and Grand Muftī of Egypt, Shawqī ʿAllām, inaugurated the 9th Scientific Conference for Young Researchers, attended by a host of local leaders, clergymen, al-Azhar scholars, and university students.
“The university is keen on holding the young...
Date of source: 19 Feb 2024
Orthodox Copts in Egypt and worldwide are preparing for this year’s three-day Nineveh fast, commencing on February 26, fifteen days ahead of the Lent. The fast is observed in honor of the Prophet Yūnān (Jonah), who remained inside the belly of a whale for three days.
Moḥsin George, a member of the...
Date of source: 20 Feb 2024
The governorate of Damietta (Dumyāṭ), about 160 kilometers north of Cairo, is getting prepared to celebrate the mūlid (birthday anniversary) of al-ʿĀrif Biāllah al-Fātiḥ al-Takrūrī, also known as Abū al-Maʿāṭī. The courts of dhikr and Ṣūfī rituals are being prepared, with local sweet and souvenir...
Date of source: 19 Feb 2024
During a meeting to discuss cooperation with the Brazilian ambassador, Paulino Franco de Carvalho Neto, the Grand Imām of al-Azhar, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, emphasized that al-Azhar’s mission is to promote peace globally, as he considered all al-Azhar students and graduates as “envoys of peace” in...
Date of source: 24 Feb 2024
Grand Muftī of Egypt, Dr. Shawqī ʿAllām, expounded on five important fatwās (religious edicts) during his weekly appearance on the show Naẓra (Vision) on the Ṣadā al-Balad TV station with talk show host, Ḥamdī Rizq.
“Dereliction at the workplace and bribe-taking are deemed as corruption. Although...