Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt 2003-Present

Sheikh Ali Gomaa (Arabic:علي جمعة ‘Alī Jum‘ah) is the Grand Mufti of Egypt succeeding Ahmad El-Tayeb. He is considered to be one of the most respected and qualified traditional Islamic scholars alive. He specializes in the science of the foundations of Islamic Law, viz Usul al-fiqh. He follows the Shafi`i school of Islamic jurisprudence. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 401 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a portrait photograph of Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 401 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a portrait photograph of Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... The title of Grand Mufti (Arabic: ‎) refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni Muslim country. ... Uṣūl al-fiqh (Arabic: ‎ ) is a term which literally translates to the roots of the law and refers to the study of the origins, sources, and practice of Islamic jurisprudence. ... The Shāfi‘ī madhab () is one of the four schools of fiqh, or religious law, within Sunni Islam. ...

Biographical Information

Ali Gomaa was born in the Upper Egyptian province of Bani Suwayf on March 3rd 1953 CE (7 Jumadah al-Akhirah 1371 AH). He is married, and has three daughters, all of whom have married and had children themselves. ^[1]

Educational Background

Gomaa graduated from high school in 1969, at which point he enrolled in Ayn Shams University in Egypt’s capitol, Cairo. Having already begun to memorize the Quran, he delved deeper into his studies of Islam studying hadith and Maliki jurisprudence in his free time while at University. After completing a B.A. in commerce at Ayn Shams, Gomaa enrolled in Cairo’s prestigious al-Azhar University, the oldest active Islamic institution of higher learning in the world. He received a second B.A. from al-Azhar, then an M.A., and finally a PhD with highest honors in Juristic Methodology (usul al-fiqh) in 1988. Since he had not gone through the al-Azhar High School curriculum he took it upon himself in his first year at the college to study and memorize all of the basic texts that many of the other students had already covered. Gomaa taught in the faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies at al-Azhar University from the time he received his M.A. until he was appointed Grand Mufti in 2003, first as an assistant professor, and finally as a full professor. ^[2]

Classes Outside of the University

In addition to the courses he taught at the University, Gomaa also revived the tradition of open classes held in the al- mosque where he taught a circle of students six days a week from after sunrise until noon. Gomaa established these lessons in 1998 ^[3] with the aim of protecting the Islamic intellectual tradition from being lost or misinterpreted, “I want people to continue in the tradition of knowledge reading the classical texts the way they were written, not the way people want to understand them.” ^[4] In addition to the lessons in al-Azhar, Gomaa also began giving the Friday sermon (khutbah) in Cairo’s Sultan Hasan Mosque in 1998 after which he would give a short lesson in Islamic jurisprudence for the general public followed by a question and answer session.

Media Appearances

Since being appointed as Grand Mufti, Gomaa has had numerous media appearances. His regular television appearances include: al-Bayt Baytak on Tuesday nights on both Egyptian terrestrial and satellite channel two when he discusses current events and answers the questions of viewers who call in. Yas’alunaka, on Fridays on the Risalah satellite channel on which he gives a simplified explanation of Islamic jurisprudence. A commentary on the Koran that appears daily on local Egyptian channel one. In addition to his television appearances, Gomaa has a weekly column in the Egyptian daily newspaper al-Ahram. His articles have covered a wide range of topics from explanations of the basis of Islamic law and calling for calm in the face of the Danish cartoon crisis, to refuting extremism and denouncing The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a forgery.

Ali Gomaa's view on selling pork and alchohol in the West and 'Dar-al-harb'

In a fatwa issued by Dar-al-ifta ^[5], approved and signed by Dr. Ali Gom’a, the Egyptian Mufti stated that selling pork and alcohol is permitted in the West because of the following points:

Quote “it is allowed taking the opinion of the scholars from the Hanafi madhhab who allow to deal with wrong contracts in dar-al-harb (the house of war)”

He also based his fatwa on a narration (hadith) that says “No usury between the people of war in the house of war” which may be considered a weak narration according to some opinions.

Another justification was that the Prophet (peace be upon him) let his uncle Al-‘Abbas Ibn ‘Abdil-Muttalib take usury in Mecca - a house of war - and he did not prohibit him except in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage.

In all during the fatwa – which was a reply to a question from a Muslim in Europe asking about whether it would be allowed for him to work in stores that sell alcohol and pork along with other products because he cannot find another job – the Sheikh mentioned the terms “dar-al-harb” (House of war) and “ahlal-harb” (people of war) several terms, and gave a response that not only dealt with what the questioner had asked but further points such as the taking of Interest and gambling.

The Question of Jihad in Palestine

In an interview with an Egyptian paper “Al-haqiqa” in July 2003, Sheikh Ali Gomaa was asked a number of questions regarding Palestine. He also made some statements regarding the issue which were reported in al-Hayat newspaper on the 30th September 2003. ^{[6] [7]}

When asked about the rule of an Egyptian man illegally entering Palestine and carrying out a ‘martyrdom’ operation without the express permission of the head of state he replied that "he is a Shahid [martyr], because Palestine is a special case and not the ordinary case existing in the world… This is because in Palestine there is an enemy that rules the land. This rule is considered a crime by international conventions and resolutions… The world has let the Jews spread corruption throughout the land and they have succeeded in obtaining international legitimacy to territories that were conquered after 1967…Israel is a special case that does not exist [anywhere else] on the face of the earth. We are facing a criminal occupation that is the source of terror."

When asked about the explicit ruling on “martyrdom” operations he replied that "The one who carries out Fedaii [martyrdom] operations against the Zionists and blows himself up is, without a doubt, a Shahid [martyr] because he is defending his homeland against the occupying enemy who is supported by superpowers such as the U.S. and Britain."

The Mufti's opinion of Israeli Civilians

In the same interview, referenced above, he was then asked regarding the rule regarding differentiating between civilian and non civilian targets replying that

"The Zionists themselves do not differentiate between civilian and military personnel. They have set the entire people to military service. The civilian settler who occupies land in a state of war is a Harbi [that is, a non-Muslim living in an area regarded as 'Dar Al-harb,' the 'domain of war,' in which Islam does not dominate]. Besides, everyone in Israel, civilians and military personnel, bear arms. That is, they are 'Ahl Al-Qital'[that is, those who deserve to be fought]."

Various other questions and answers from the same interview include:

Question: "Do you differentiate between operations carried out within the 1948 borders and operations carried out within the 1967 borders?" Sheikh Gum'a: "Even Zionists do not differentiate. They occupied the entire territory. We differentiate when there is a difference, [but] there is no difference between Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Hebron."

Question: "Is it permitted to kill an Israeli traveling outside the borders of his land?" Sheikh Gum'a: "Yes, it is permitted to kill him, because he is a Harbi and the Harbi spreads corruption throughout the face of the earth."

Question: "Even if he is wearing a diplomatic uniform, for example?" Sheikh Gum'a: "He can wear a diplomatic uniform as much as he likes, but his blood is permitted. But permitting his blood does not mean that he must be killed; it only permits his killing."

Other Fatwas of Significance

Since taking office Gomaa has issued a number of fatwas and statements that have made an impact in the media. He has issued a fatwa asserting that men and women enjoy equal political rights in Islam, including the right to become president of a modern state. ^[8]

He recently stated on national television that it is permissible in Islam for a woman to have hymen restoration surgery for any reason since Islam promotes protecting one’s privacy and reputation and does not require a woman to provide proof of her virginity. ^[9]

He has also stated that Islam does not call for and has never known a theocratic state and that there is no contradiction between Islam and liberal democracy saying, “I consider myself a liberal and a Muslim, but this does not mean I am a secularist. The Egyptian [historical] experience has combined liberalism and Islam in the best of ways.” ^[10]

He is a signatory of the Amman Message, which gives a broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy, unequivocally states that nobody has the right to excommunicate a Muslim, and restricts the issuing of fatwas to those with the scholarly qualifications to do so. ^[11]

He is the Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Hadith, a sub-project of the greater Sunnah Project of the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation, which aims at documenting and publishing all works related to Prophetic narrations or Hadith.

Extremism

Gomaa has taken a very clear stance against extremist interpretations of Islam. “He has become the most explicitly anti-extremist cleric in mainstream Sunni Islam.” ^[12] He says that the use of violence to spread Islam is prohibited and extremists have not been educated in genuine centers of Islamic learning, “Terrorists are criminals, not Muslim activists.” ^[13]

Accusations of Antisemitism

Although some media outlets have portrayed Gomaa as an anti-Semite, he has publicly asserted that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a forgery and made an official court complaint concerning a publisher who falsely put his name on an introduction to its Arabic translation. ^[14]

Original Writings

His published works include in alphabetical order:

1. ‘Alaqah Usul al-Fiqh bi al-Falsafah
2. Aliyat al-Ijtihad
3. Athr Dhihab al-Mahal fi al-Hukm
4. al-Bayan
5. al-Hukm al-Shar’i
6. al-Ijma’ ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
7. al-Imam al-Shafi’i wa Madrasatuhu al-Fiqhiyyah
8. al-Imam al-Bukhari
9. al-Kalim al-Tayyib vol. 1
10. al-Kalim al-Tayyib vol. 2
11. Mabahith al-Amr ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
12. al-Madkhal ila Darasah al-Madhahib al-Fiqhiyyah
13. al-Mar’ah fi al-Hadarah al-Islamiyyah
14. al-Mustalah al-Usuli wa al-Tatbiq ‘ala Tarif al-Qiyas
15. al-Nadhariyyat al-Usuliyyah wa Madkhal li Darasah ‘Ilm al-Usul
16. al-Naskh ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
17. Qadiyah Tajdid Usul al-Fiqh
18. al-Qiyas ‘ind al-Usuliyyin
19. al-Ru’yah wa Hujiyyatiha al-Usuliyyah
20. Simat al-Asr
21. Taqyid al-Mubah
22. al-Tariq ila al-Turath al-Islami

Teachers

His sheikhs and teachers include in alphebetical order:

1. ‘Abd Allah bin al-Siddiq al-Ghumari
2. ‘Abd al-Aziz al-Ghumari
3. ‘Abd al-’Aziz al-Zayyat
4. ‘Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah
5. ‘Abd al-Hafidh al-Tijani
6. ‘Abd al-Hakim ‘Abd al-Latif
7. ‘Abd al-Hamid Mayhub
8. Ahmad Jabir al-Yamani
9. ‘Abd al-Jalil al-Qaranshawi
10. Ahmad Hammadah al-Shafi’i
11. Ahmad Mursi
12. ‘Ali Ahmad Mar’i
13. Hasan Ahmad Mar’i
14. al-Husayni Yusuf al-Shaykh
15. Ibrahim Abu al-Khashab
16. ‘Iwad Allah al-Hijazi
17. ‘Iwad al-Zabidi
18. Ismail Sadiq al-’Adwi
19. Ismail al-Zayn al-Yamani
20. Jad al-Haqq ‘Ali Jad al-Haqq
21. Jad al-Rabb Ramadan
22. Muhammad Abu Nur Zuhayr
23. Muhammad ‘Alawi al-Maliki
24. Muhammad Ismail al-Hamadani
25. Muhammad Mahmud Farghali
26. Muhammad Shams al-Din al-Mantiqi
27. Muhammad Zaki Ibrahin
28. Sha’ban Muhammad Ismail
29. Said ‘Abd Allah al-Lajhi
30. al-Sayiid Salih ‘Iwad
31. Salih al-Ja’fari
32. Yasin al-Fidani

External links

• The Economist: Laying Down Religious Law
• The Wise Mufti
• Articles of faith
• Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation
• Encyclopaedia of Hadith and IHSAN Network
• Member of Fons Vitae books Editorial Advisory board
• The Show-Me Sheikh: "The grand mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, is peddling a new kind of radical Islam— traditionalism without the extremism" by G. Willow Wilson, The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2005

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Notes

1. ^ al-Kalim al-Tayyib vol. 2, p. 417
2. ^ Islamica Magazine, Issue # 12, Spring 2005
3. ^ al-Ahram Oct. 1, 2005
4. ^ Islamica Magazine, Issue #12, Spring 2005
5. ^ (fatwa number 4189)
6. ^ http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP58003
7. ^ Al-Hayat (London), September 30, 2003
8. ^ http://arabist.net/archives/2007/02/04/mufti-not-against-women-presidents-after-all/
9. ^ http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/03/05/fatwa/index.html
10. ^ Nahdah Masr, Feb. 3, 2007
11. ^ http://www.ammanmessage.com/
12. ^ The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2005
13. ^ http://wpherald.com/articles/2469/1/Common-Ground-Terrorists-contradict-Islams-tenets/Peace-is-central-theme-of-Islam.html
14. ^ al-Ahram, Jan. 1, 2007

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