USA: The oldest and most prestigious centre of learning in Sunni Islam, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, confirmed that disagreements and debates over congratulating Christian brothers on the occasion of Christmas have been rekindled as each year's end draws near.
According to the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif decided on this issue a long time ago.
The most senior cleric at Al-Azhar, Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, recently expressed his congratulations to Pope Francis, Pope Tawadros II, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, church leaders, and Christian brothers in the East and West. This, according to a statement from the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism.
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This congratulations explicitly urged people to speak out for peace and brotherhood so that safety and stability could be found everywhere, according to Al-Azhar Observatory.
The grand imam posted greetings on his Facebook page, and the observatory claimed to have observed the response.
More than 16,000 "angry and sarcastic" responses were received by those who disagreed with the idea of congratulating Christians on Christmas due to "ignorance of religious teachings and misconceptions that some promoted about its contradiction with the Islamic faith," the report said. This was in contrast to 30,000 positive responses to the congratulations.
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"This is an interaction that indicates a wrong understanding of the texts of religion and leads to a threat to public peace and contempt for religion, which entails a legal penalty and a religious violation," the statement reads. "In a clear raising of the tone of violence and hatred against the other who dissents in religion."
According to the Al-Azhar Observatory, these critics cited exaggerated claims about academics, literal interpretations of texts from the Shariah, or outdated fatwas that had their own historical context and occasions. This sin also appeared in the right of anyone who issues fatwas or adopts the proverb that it is acceptable to wish Christian brothers a happy holiday.
The remarks that accompanied the grand imam's congratulations to the Christian brothers in the East and West made this clear, according to the observatory.
The observatory claims that this statistic demonstrates the unfavourable effects of false and extremist ideas that prey on people's ignorance of Shariah-related issues to accuse them of infidelity and mislead them with tenuous accusations that only exist in the minds of their proponents and appeal to the easily misled.
This prompts us to reiterate the need to fully abide by the legal fatwas and jurisprudential opinions issued by official institutions in this regard while having good faith in the nation's scholars and symbols, the statement read.
According to the observatory, one of the acts of "righteousness" that Islam exhorts us to perform toward people in general is congratulation.
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It expressed its sincere congratulations to the Christian brothers on the occasion of Christmas and expressed the hope that the upcoming year would be one of goodness and peace, with an end to all wars and a global spirit of peace and brotherhood.
By providing moderate and meaningful content in a variety of languages, highlighting the universality of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and bolstering Egypt's international standing in the field of countering extremism, the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism aims to consolidate the teachings of the true Islamic religion and magnify its message based on moderation, moderation, tolerance, and human brotherhood.