Should You Enroll in Azhar University for Residency? Insights from Sheikh Yahya ibn Ali Al-Hajoori
Azhar University
The questioner is asking whether it is permissible to enroll in Azhar University in Egypt in order to obtain residency, as the government has imposed stricter rules on foreigners, and some are unable to acquire residency except through Azhar. They seek guidance on whether it is better to remain without residency, despite the risk of being detained by the authorities and possibly deported to non-Muslim countries, or if they should enroll in Azhar, and if so, how to proceed.
Sheikh Yahya ibn Ali Al-Hajoori ḥafidhahullāh:
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allāh, and may peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. To proceed:
Azhar is a school of innovation which has been influenced by the West. It produces graduates: who follow the misguided Ash’ari school of thought, people of misguidance and ones who display both external and internal disobedience. Externally, this is seen in practices such as shaving the beard and wearing clothes below the ankles, etc., while internally it involves corrupt beliefs, incorrect interpretations of religious texts, and the justification of various wrongdoings. This is why their Da’wah is dead, as it is not a Da’wah/call to Tawheed, beneficial knowledge, or the Sunnah. Anyone who studies there is likely to be influenced by these misguided teachings. As mentioned in the ḥadīth: “A person is upon the religion of their close friend, so be careful who you befriend.” The Prophet ﷺ also said: “The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the one who carries perfume and the one who works the bellows. The perfume carrier will either give you some, sell you some, or you will at least smell a pleasant scent from him. The bellows worker will either burn your clothes or you will smell a foul odor from him.”
Allāh, the Almighty, says (interpreted meaning): “And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His face, and do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the adornments of the worldly life” [Surah Al-Kahf 28]. Therefore, it is not permissible to study in such a school or take instruction from it due to the harm it can cause to one’s Aqeedah and other matters.
However, if one only obtains residency through it without studying there and instead seeks knowledge with Ahlus Sunnah, then this fine. But in most cases, residency is only granted to those enrolled as students at Azhar. If that is the case, it would not be permissible to join the school for study. Just as it is not permissible to study with the Sufis, the Shi’a, or other groups of misguidance based on the previously mentioned evidence.
Ibn ’Abbās said, as authentically narrated by Ad-Dārimi and Al-Ājurri: “Do not sit with the people of desires, for their company is a sickness for the heart.” It is also authentically reported from ’Imrān ibn Ḥusayn (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If you hear of the Dajjal, then stay far from him, for a person may approach him thinking themselves a believer, but the doubts and deceptions of the Dajjal will lead them astray.” This indicates that misconceptions and falsehoods affect and harm the heart. Allāh the Exalted says (interpreted meaning): “As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation” [Surah Āl-e-’Imrān 7]. In the Ṣaḥīḥayn (Bukhāri and Muslim), ’A’ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If you see those who follow what is ambiguous in the Qur’ān, know that they are the ones Allāh has named, so beware of them.”
Azhar is an old institution with a long history, but it has provided little benefit to Islam or the Muslim community. It produces graduates who are inclined to world affairs.
Some brothers from Egypt have shared stories of students and preachers from here (Yemen) who, when they were there for medical purposes, they began to give sermons, and the people there grew a liking to them…so much so they requested them to stay, asking them how much they’d like per khutbah, lecture, etc., seeking to negotiate a wage. The brothers responded, what do you mean, how much do I want? They said we’ll pay you. He responded, I don’t want anything. I give sermons, lectures, classes and spread the Da‘wah for Allāh’s sake. This is a duty upon me. The common people were surprised when they refused to accept money, preaching only for the sake of Allah. This contrasted with those from Azhar, who often demanded payment for every religious service they provided, indicating a concern for worldly gains rather than spreading the message of Islam…In conclusion, the Da‘wah of Azhar is aligns with Sufism, Ash’arism, influenced by Western ideologies, and it is not advisable to study there or associate with those who follow these ideologies.