The World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates convened a workshop themed “Hallmarks of the Azhari Identity“. This came within the Organization’s framework to promote the moderate approach and extend support to international students. The workshop was delivered by Dr. Ayman al-Hajjar, the Shari’ah Researcher at al-Azhar Council of Senior Scholars, with the attendance of 50 international students from various nationalities.
Dr. Ayman al-Hajjar affirmed that al-Azhar ash-Sharif has historically been known as a moderate institution that unites rather than divides, noting that teaching the four jurisprudential schools of thought within al-Azhar has contributed to entrenching the values of dialogue, openness, and universality. This is clearly reflected in al-Azhar arcades from which al-Azhar various institutions have emerged, among them the World Organization for al-Azhar Graduates, which carries on its role in spreading the moderate thought among international students.
He explained that among the most prominent characteristics of the Azhari identity are: openness to different cultures and religious traditions, combined with a commitment to receiving knowledge through an unbroken chain of transmission and adhering to its methodological tools. He emphasized as well the importance of reasoning in understanding and deriving rulings.
The Shari’ah Researcher at the Council of Senior Scholars stressed that the Arabic language and its sciences represent the essential portal to understanding Islamic Shari’ah, as they enable students to read texts with precision and derive rulings within their proper context, away from selectivity or extremist interpretations that distort the true essence of moderate Islam.
In conclusion, he emphasized the importance of reading and knowledgeability, recommending to the students a selection of books across various fields of knowledge, for their role in consolidating al-Azhar enlightened thought.
