Today, Wednesday, at Al-Azhar Headquarters, the Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad At-Tayyeb received Mr. Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC Secretary-General and his accompanying delegation. The Grand Imam averred: “Islam is a religion of mercy for all creatures, as the Almighty says, “We have sent you (O Prophet Muhammad) only as a mercy for the whole worlds.” Here, the plural form “worlds” indicates more than one world, and yet many Muslims miss this significance. Indeed, Islam is a religion of mercy to the worlds of animals, plants, humans, and all other species. The Grand Imam further asserted that the Glorious Qur’an, at the same time, states as a truth the difference among people in everything, in skin color, religion, gender and language. It also establishes that human relationship is one of cooperation and acquaintance, not of disagreement and conflict. HE the Grand Imam also explained that Al-Azhar is fully aware of the importance of oil and its key role in bringing progress and prosperity for peoples. Therefore, Al-Azhar University was a pioneer in launching the first ever Petroleum Department in Egyptian universities, stressing that Al-Azhar’s message is global, as more than 40 thousand students from 108 countries around the world register in it to study various disciplines, including medicine, engineering, etc., knowing that the study at Al-Azhar in the past was limited to religious disciplines only.

For his part, Mr. Muhammad Barkindo expressed his great appreciation of the Grand Imam as the Imam of humanity, stressing that Cairo has a special place of esteem in the organization, being the first host for the organization’s founding meetings in the fifties of the last century. He also noted that education is the key to progress and prosperity in the whole world. It is the tool through which the optimal investment of wealth, and in turn advancement and prosperity of all humanity, can be achieved. 

At the end of the meeting, the Grand Imam offered Mr. Barkindo a special copy of Al-Azhar Qur’an Codex, while Mr. Barkindo presented to the Grand Imam a copy of a book that recounts the founding story of the organization since its first preparatory founding meeting in Cairo and until today.