We thank Al-Azhar for hosting the Scholars Preparation Program, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque in Indonesia

 

The Scholars Preparation Program has achieved remarkable success and its graduates are highly regarded in our country, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque in Indonesia

 

His Eminence the Grand Imam (GI) of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb, received today, Wednesday, at Al-Azhar HQ, Sheikh Nasaruddin Umar, the grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque and President of the Institute For Quranic Studies (IIQ), in the presence of Prof. Nahla Al-Saidi, Advisor to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for International Students Affairs, along with a delegation of Indonesian students enrolled in the Scholars Preparation Program organized by the Education Development Center for Al-Azhar International Students.

 

His Eminence the Grand Imam said that Al-Azhar has strong historical relations with Indonesia, pointing out that international students from Indonesia were an important reason for fostering and developing this relationship throughout history. He stressed Al-Azhar's readiness to enhance cooperation with the Istiqlal Mosque by establishing institutes affiliated with Al-Azhar in Indonesia for various educational stages, starting from kindergarten to secondary education. Al-Azhar is also ready to establish a system for accrediting the certificates of these institutes to qualify students to join Al-Azhar University and to establish centers for teaching the youth of Indonesia the language of the Holy Quran through a selected group of scholars from Al-Azhar. Moreover, Al-Azhar can receive the imams of the Istiqlal Mosque and its branches spread throughout Indonesia for training at the Al-Azhar Academy for Training Imams and Preachers with the aim of raising their skills in refuting the arguments of extremist groups related to the relationship of Muslims with followers of other religions, women's rights in Islam, and other challenges and issues facing Indonesian society.

 

Sheikh Nasaruddin Umar, for his part, expressed his deep appreciation to the Grand Imam for supporting Indonesian students and scholars and hosting the Scholars Preparation Program, which is of great importance to the Indonesian government. This program is implemented in cooperation between Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Istiqlal Mosque, and the Institute For Quranic Studies in Indonesia. He explained that the program’s curricula were formulated in cooperation with the Education Development Center for Al-Azhar International Students, and that there is a noticeable increase and great desire to join the program by Indonesians, and they are trying to make every effort to accommodate all applicants; therefore, the grants offered to join the program have been increased from 100 to 500 grants.

 

The Imam of Al-Istiqlal Mosque confirmed that the Scholars Preparation Program has achieved remarkable success during the recent period, and that the graduates of this program enjoy great respect and appreciation. Sixty of them were dispatched as imams to Japan and Korea, in addition to most of the program’s graduates being appointed as imams in mosques across various provinces in Indonesia.