The fate of the new Personal Status Law depended over the last few days on the juridical approval of Sheikh Al-Azhar, Dr. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi. The law was amended in a series of meetings of the Jurisprudence Research Committee affiliated to Mogamma` Al-Buhouth Al-Islameyya (Islamic Research Center) and a number of Law and Sharia` teachers. Amendments were made to those articles of the law considered inconsistent with Sharia` rulings. The final amendments were approved on February 11, 1999 in a session attended by, in addition to members of the committee, the Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Dr. Hamdy Zaqzouq, the Mufti of Egypt Dr. Nasr Farid Wasil and President of Al-Azhar University, Dr. Ahmed Omar Hashim.