- Born in the Nile Delta governorate of Beheira in 1961, Allam received his Ph.D. in jurisprudence and Sharia law from the Al-Azhar University in 1996
- Known as a moderate who renounces fanaticism, Allam gained support by not having any political affiliations
Dr. Shawki Allam is the 19th and the current grand mufti of Egypt through Dar Al-Ifta Al-Misriyyah. Since its inception in 1895, it has been Egypt’s educational institution and government body founded to represent Islam and a center for Islamic legal research.
The government’s first and primary source of religious authority, it is seen as the symbolic religious representative of the government, and is able to issue fatwas on religious matters. By drawing upon the Qur’an and Prophetic traditions, it aims to keep contemporary Muslims in touch with religious principles while clarifying and removing doubts concerning religious laws.
On Tuesday, Dr. Shawki Allam expressed his thanks and appreciation to King Salman for his patronage of Islamic Unity Conference, which concluded in Makkah and was organized by the Muslim World League. Allam emphasized his permanent support for Saudi Arabia stemming from their bonds of Arabism and Islam.
Born in the Nile Delta governorate of Beheira in 1961, Allam received his Ph.D. in jurisprudence and Sharia law from the Al-Azhar University in 1996. Before being appointed as Egypt’s grand mufti, he served as the chairman of the Department of Jurisprudence at the School of Sharia at Al-Azhar University’s Tanta branch.
Known as a moderate who renounces fanaticism, Allam gained support by not having any political affiliations. In February 2013, he was elected grand mufti by Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars replacing Ali Gomaa. The bylaws of Al-Azhar state grand muftis must be under the age of 60, have worked continuously inside the religious establishment following his education, be a scholar of both jurisprudence and Sharia law, and be fluent in a second language other than Arabic.