Al-Azhar Grand Imam is hosted by the people of Chechnya during three-day official visit
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, travelled to the Republic of Chechnya at the invitation of the President of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, on an official three day visit. The Al-Azhar delegation comprised of the senior scholars and representatives of Al-Azhar including Member of the Al-Azhar Supreme Council, Shaykh Dr Ali Jum’uah as well as Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Dr Shawqi Allam, and President of Al-Azhar University, Dr Ibrahim Hudhud. The Grand Imam arrived in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, on Wednesday 24 August 2016. The Al-Azhar delegation was welcomed by senior officials and scholars of Chechnya, and the people in their hundreds lined up the roads and streets to welcome the motorcade of the Grand Imam.
Amongst his engagements in Chechnya, the Grand Imam held a meeting with President Ramzan Kadyrov and senior officials to discuss means of cooperation between Al-Azhar and Chechnya in the training and education of Imams and religious clerics at Al-Azhar. The Chechan President further hosted a reception in honour of the Grand Imam at the Presidential Palace in Grozny. Further seminars and meetings were also held in promoting the message of moderation represented by Al-Azhar as well as the countering of extremism and terrorism, and the promotion of peace in the present age.
Among his major engagements was the Grand Imams’ attendance and chairing of the first of its kind conference titled ‘Who are the Ahl al-Sunnah?’. The conference was hosted by the scholars of Chechnya and eminent scholars from around the world attended including Shaykh Al-Habib Ali Jifri (UAE), Shaykh Al-Habib Umar bin Hafidh (Yemen), Shaykh Aboobaker Ahmed (Kerala, India), and many others.
The Grand Imam, Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb Shaykh al-Azhar, further visited important places in Grozny, meeting hundreds of people and well wishers as well as scholars and Imams. Friday Prayer was offered at the main mosque in Grozny with thousands of worshippers in attendance.
