The Shaikh of Al Azhar, Mohammad Tantawi

The Shaikh of Al Azhar, Mohammad Tantawi, emphasized that the Baha’i group in Egypt to be considered as “outside the folds of Islam and the teachings of the Heavenly religions”. He termed it as a deviant group which should not spread its venom in the Islamic societies.

Shaikh Tantawi added that surely Baha’ism is diametrically opposite to the Islamic Shariah and it is just not possible for anyone to consider Baha’ism as a religion. This is because it is outside the folds of Islam and the teachings of the Heavenly religions. He also stressed that there should be no mention of the word Baha’i as religion for any Baha’i on his Personal Identity Card as that would mean acknowledging Baha’ism as a religion. Just as the Interior Ministry refused to accord Baha’ism as a religious entity on the Personal Identity Card.

Shaikh Tantawi also pointed out to the judgment rendered by the Administrative Court granting permission to two Baha’is to either leave the column of Religion in their Identity Cards to be either blank or to write “Others” in the column.

The late Sheikh of Al Azhar Jad al Haq Ali Jad al Haq had emphasized in 1986 in an edict which was renewed by the Islamic Research Group in 2003 that Baha’ism has no connection with the Divine religions. Rather it is a newly innovated religion which manifested itself in the end of the nineteenth century A.D. and was graced and favored by the English imperialist forces with the aim and intention to weaken the Islamic unity and refute the Islamic injunctions. He also mentioned that the Baha’is take as their Qibla, the city of Akka in Palestine instead of the Holy Kaba. They also do not believe in the Day of Qiyamah and neither do they believe in Holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) as the Messenger of Allah.

(July 2008)

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