The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb, continued his talk about harvesting the fruits of Azharite efforts as given in Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif Documents issued between June 2011 and January 2012, rhetorically wondering, “Can these documents, that are issued by Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and developed in participation with intellectual, scholarly and media elites during a bleak period of utter disturbance, be considered a form of renewal or a sign of bigotry, blind imitation and inflexibility?” He then asserted that the three years following the issuance of these documents abounded with incidents that almost paralyzed most of the scientific and educational institutions, including Al-Azhar itself, where educational and cultural activities came to a halt. Yet, Al-Azhar’s activity in the national social field continued. Then, with the approach of 2015, the issue of ‘renewal’ resurfaced on Al-Azhar’s agenda of priorities, and the idea of holding an international conference on renewal came to the fore.” The Grand Imam then added that “to avoid the mistake of making hasty individual decisions, we held a preparatory symposium for the conference on April 22, 2015 in which we discussed required renewal. We concluded that renewal should be based on a combination of facilitation and the realization of the objectives of the Sharia, and the collective Sharia rules. Yet, things came to a standstill since the symposium involved no engagement with reality or the people’s problems on the ground, where renewal was required. That was the main reason why most conferences on renewal failed, since issues liable to renewal were not identified, nor were even the required steps charted. Meanwhile, most research had addressed already exhausted topics, including the necessity of renewal, its applicability under the umbrella of the Sharia, perquisites of those undertaking renewal, etc.”

The Grand Imam continued, “Upon long thoughts, we were guided to a practical idea based on surveying the opinions of respective ministries and institutions to identify the elements where change or modification is required. The numerous responses we received, besides the thoughts I had, were added to the agenda of the Academy of Senior Scholars board and were subject to extensive investigation. I remember that during such investigation, specifically on November 14, 2015, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, headed by the distinguished colleague Prof. Muhammad Mukhtar Jumaa, Minister of Endowments, held a conference at the International Conference Center in Luxor under the title, ‘The vision of imams and preachers for the renewal of religious discourse and mechanisms for dismantling extremist ideology’. I participated in that conference through a study on renewal as well.”

The Grand Imam then quoted some of his own recorded statements in these conferences that ran as follows, 

Dear scholars! 

Like similar other conferences held by Al-Azhar, the Ministry of Endowments and the Egyptian Ifta’ House, this conference is calling for renewal and facilitation of the fatwas. I believe that the time has come for us to shift the perspective of our conferences towards dealing with debatable or condoned issues. We should not fear the negative reactions of hard-liner jurists who see every form of renewal as deviation from the Sharia, negligence of religion, and a prelude to dissolution and melting into a raging materialist civilization. I know that this matter is largely taken into account by many of our scholars who are qualified for ijtihad, and who are ready to renew the fatwas on very sensitive worldly matter for the Muslims. For all of this, I suggest that we resort to "collective ijtihad." So, leading Muslim scholars who are preoccupied with the nation’s problems and concerns, and who are not lured by the temptations of power or mundane gains, would be invited to investigate the issues related to terrorism, takfir and hijrah (excommunication and exodus), defining the concept of Dar ul-ˀIslām, joining armed violence groups, dissociation with and alienation from the society, and legalizing the killing or bombing of citizens.”

His Eminence the Grand Imam continued, “Scholars should exert due efforts in renewing their perspectives on political issues, like democracy, human rights, freedom and its limits, constitutional and legal equality, and the legitimacy of the constitution and the parliament. This also applies to social matters on top of which are bank transactions, and women issues including women’s assuming judicial positions and sovereign power (political leadership), women costume and face veil, as well as subjection to customs and traditions that deprive them of their legal rights. Such rights include women’s right to inheritance, their free choice of husbands, protecting them from their guardians’ oppression, practiced without any valid legal or social justification, the call for women to keep to their homes (and not to have jobs). Other similar issues include organ transplantation, congratulating non-Muslims on their religious festivals, determining the beginning of the Arab months through astronomical calculations, and the issues of Pilgrimage (Hajj), particularly Ihram from Jeddah by those coming to KSA by air or sea, and the ritual of pebble throwing  at all times during Hajj. These issues also involve the awakening of the nation to bring up fatwas necessitating activeness and forbidding indolence and laziness, etc.

According to HE, it is necessary that respective fatwas on these delicate issues should not draw merely on general religious texts in a way that neither applies to nor changes reality.

Here, the Grand Imam noted that such proposal is not a substitute for jurisprudential councils available throughout the Muslim world, nor for the role of the fatwa or its councils. Rather, it is an attempt meant to complement the effective role of these institutions in sustaining the Sharia of Islam and keeping pace with temporal developments and special changes.