The International Day of Al-Azhar
7th Ramadan 1447 AH
Allah’s name I begin with, the utmost Kind, the ever Merciful.
On the 7th of Ramadan 1447 AH, we commemorate 1086 years since the founding of Al-Azhar Mosque in the year 361 AH (972 CE); a moment that laid the foundations of what would become the world’s oldest continuously operating centre of learning and the noble institution known today as Al-Azhar University.
For over a millennium, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has stood as a beacon of sacred knowledge, a sanctuary of scholarship and a lighthouse of moderation. Generations of scholars have passed through its blessed courtyards, carrying its methodology across continents; a methodology rooted in balance, intellectual rigour, spiritual refinement and adherence to the authentic tradition of Islam.
As President of Al-Azhar Alumni UK, on behalf of the UK Branch of the World Organization for Al-Azhar Graduates, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, His Eminence Shaykh Dr Ahmad al-Tayyeb, may Allah preserve him, and to the scholars, students and graduates of Al-Azhar across the globe.
This day is not merely a commemoration of history; it is a renewal of covenant. A covenant to uphold knowledge with integrity. A covenant to embody moderation in times of polarisation. A covenant to serve our communities with wisdom, compassion and principled leadership.
In Britain, we as graduates of Al-Azhar carry a particular responsibility: to translate this noble inheritance into guidance relevant to our context; to strengthen unity; to challenge extremism and misunderstanding with scholarship and clarity; and to nurture the next generation upon sound knowledge and upright character.
Al-Azhar has endured because it is not merely a mosque nor solely a university; it is a living tradition, a movement of knowledge and a trust carried by its scholars and graduates wherever they reside.
On this blessed 7th of Ramadan, I pray that Allah Almighty preserves Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, strengthens its scholars, blesses its Grand Imam and allows us to be worthy servants of the religion and the community. May Al-Azhar remain a source of light, balance and guidance for humanity for centuries to come.
Bakhtyar H. Pirzada, MA
President, Al-Azhar Alumni UK
