Shaykh Ahmed El Azhary - الشيخ أحمد الأزهري

I have not written here in quite some time.

But this particular moment pushed me to say a few words.

Many people have been circulating the old tweet of Jordan Peterson from October 7 in which he wrote, in anger, “Give ’em hell.” And now that news has spread about the severe neurological suffering he has been going through, some have drawn a direct line between the two.

I understand why people feel the way they do. Many have been watching unbearable suffering for the past two and a half years. When pain accumulates, language becomes difficult to measure, and emotions speak before reflection does.

At the same time, there are elements in Peterson's story that should give us pause.

I have listened to Mikhaila Peterson recent update on her father's health. She explained that her father has been struggling with a psych-medication–induced neurological injury and akathisia, and that mental illness has a history in their family. In her own words, she said: “Severe, crippling, life-long depression, the kind where you can't get off the couch for thirty years runs in my family.” She mentioned that both his father and his grandfather struggled with depression as well. So when he wrote what he wrote, he was already suffering from the same disease his father suffered from, and his grandfather suffered from.

She herself has been battling depression in her life. Today she is twenty-five weeks pregnant and watching her father endure a devastating condition. This should matter to us.

A man may speak in public with force, certainty, sharpness, and the tone of someone fully in command, while inwardly living through something else entirely. Perhaps what he said was pure conviction. Perhaps it was mixed with some kind of episode that affected his judgment. Perhaps neither you nor I know enough to say. That uncertainty alone should make us slower, humbler, quieter.

I am reminded in this context of a profound paragraph in the work of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, in al-Arbaʿīn fī Uṣūl al-Dīn:

“The devout worshiper is seldom free from an inward pride. Indeed, the folly of some reaches such an extent that they interpret the misfortunes and joys of others solely in relation to their own 'divine standing.' If someone offends them and subsequently dies or falls ill, they say: 'You have seen what God Almighty did to him [for my sake].' And perhaps at the moment of being harmed, they say: 'You shall see what will happen to him.'

The fool does not realize that many of the disbelievers struck the Prophets and tormented them, yet those disbelievers were granted enjoyment in this world and no vengeance was exacted upon them; rather, some of them eventually embraced Islam and found felicity in both this world and the Hereafter. It is as if this person views himself as superior to the Prophets, and considers those who offend him to be more wretched than the disbelievers of old."

That is a frightening passage.

Because it teaches that even religious language can become infected with ego. Some people can be harmed and yet still be deluded about themselves. Some people can speak of God, punishment, justice, even sacred causes, while what is moving underneath is vanity, self-importance, and the hidden desire to see themselves as the axis around which divine judgment turns.

We should also remember our Prophet ﷺ when he entered Makkah victorious. He did not enter like a man drunk on vindication. He entered with his chin lowered to his chest in humility. That is the Prophetic form of victory. Not swagger. Not self-congratulation. Not theatrical moral superiority.

So despite what Jordan Peterson said in the past, I genuinely feel sorry for what he is going through. I feel sorry for what his family is going through, especially his daughter. I pray that God grants him relief, recovery, and guidance. I pray that his family is given strength and gentleness in the midst of what they are carrying.

But as for his words about Gaza, I do not need his suffering in order to feel that they were wrong.

The reliance of the people of Gaza upon Allah is enough for me. Their wounds do not need to be avenged by my commentary on another man’s illness. Their patience is greater than our slogans. Their station with God, in their suffering and steadfastness, is higher than the cheap satisfaction people seek when they imagine that history has produced a neat and visible reversal.

Finally, I want to be clear about something.

The intenton of this post is not to judge anyone’s heart. I understand where many of these reactions are coming from. People have been witnessing immense suffering, and it is difficult to measure one’s language when one is in pain.

Intentions and hearts may very well be free from arrogance. But certain forms of rhetoric and judgment can still breed it. That is why moments like this require reflection.

And I say this while fully aware that I myself am not free from arrogance or self-admiration.

May Allah guide us all.

Flags are not fabric. They are meaning.
And this gesture is a reminder that Egypt’s place is seen, acknowledged, and respected.

الحمد لله.

أسعدُ اليوم بكلماتٍ أكتبها عن أخٍ عزيز، وعالِمٍ بارعٍ، ورجلٍ من رجالات العلم الذين يعملون في صمت، بعيدًا عن الضجيج، قاصدين وجه الله وحده:

أخينا وشيخِنا الدكتور أحمد التجاني ثاني سعد الأزهري – فخر نيجيريا والأزهر الشريف.

عرفتُ الشيخ الدكتور أحمد التجاني الأزهري عن قرب، ورأيتُ فيه ما يندر اجتماعُه في رجلٍ واحد: صلابةٌ في العلم، ورسوخٌ في الفهم، وسَعةٌ في الاطلاع، مع خُلقٍ رفيع، ودماثة طبع، وتواضعٍ حقيقي لا تكلّف فيه ولا تصنّع. يعمل في هدوء، يعلّم في صبر، ويُخرِج من تحت يديه طلابًا متحققين وبالعلم والمنهج والنَّفَس الأزهري الأصيل.

نصحت طلابي الغربيين بالدراسة عليه عشرات المرات، وأشهد شهادة من رأى وعاصر:

أنه درّس لهم سُلّم العربية كاملًا، بدءًا بـ الآجُرُّوميّة، مرورًا بكتب النحو والصرف والمباحث اللغوية، وانتهاءً بـ ألفيّة ابن مالك، يشرحها بيتًا بيتًا، ويحللها توضيحًا وتفصيلًا، في بضع حصص أسبوعيًا، حتى أتموا معه السلسلة كاملة، وهذا إنجاز لا يقدِر عليه إلا متمكّن راسخ.

وليس هذا فحسب، بل كتب — بطلبٍ من هؤلاء الطلاب — تفسيرًا ماتعًا لسورة الفاتحة، طُبع باللغتين: العربية مع الترجمة الإنجليزية، يجمع بين دقة المعنى وسهولة العرض.

أما إسهاماته العلمية، فتكفي وحدها للحديث عنه، وقد ضمّنت هذا المنشور صورًا لأغلفة مؤلفاته الرصينة وتحقيقاته المتينة.

ولله درّه؛ ما رأيته يومًا يشكو، ولا يرفع صوته، ولا يستعمل طلابه في النزاعات، ولا يبني حول نفسه تجمعات عصبية.

علمٌ وأدبٌ وصمتٌ وإخلاص. وهذه الأربعة قلّ أن تجتمع في زمننا هذا.

والله يشهد أنني ما زلت أقولها دون تردّد:

إن الشيخ الدكتور أحمد التجاني ثاني سعد الأزهري من الهدايا الفخيمة والنِعَم الجسيمة التي قدّمتها نجيريا للأزهر الشريف خاصةً وللأمة الإسلامية عامةً.

أسأل الله أن يبارك في علمه وعمله وأن ينفع به حيثما نزل، ويجعل أثره ممتدًا في طلابه شرقًا وغربًا، ببركة الحبيب الأعظم صلى الله عليه وسلم.

الحمد لله.

يسعدني أن أهنّئ شيخَنا الدكتور عمرو الورداني - أمين الفتوى بدار الإفتاء المصرية وعضو الهيئة الاستشارية العليا لفضيلة مفتي الديار المصرية - على الثقة الكبيرة التي نالها من القيادة السياسية بتعيينه عضوًا بمجلس النواب، واختياره رئيسًا للجنة الشؤون الدينية بالمجلس.

عرفتُ شيخَنا عرفتُ شيخَنا منذ قرابة عشرين عامًا وحضرت عليه في علوم المنطق وتخريج الفروع على الأصول والقواعد الفقهية والفقه المقارن، فرأيته كما هو اليوم: صاحب نَفَسٍ تربويّ هادئ، راسخ القدم في العلم، بارع في بناء النماذج الذهنية وتحويل المعاني المجرّدة إلى صورٍ منهجية قابلة للإدراك، قادر على تفكيك أعقد المسائل وإعادة ترتيبها في سياقٍ واضح ومتماسك، وله نظرٌ كُلِّيٌّ يجمع بين إحكام الجزئيات واستحضار الرؤية العامة للعلوم، مع سعة صدر وأدبٍ رفيع. وما يزال أثر تلك المجالس الأولى حاضرًا في ذهني إلى الآن.

ولا أشكّ أن خبرته الطويلة في الإفتاء، وقدرته على التواصل مع الناس، ووعيه بتحديات الواقع، ستسهم في اضطلاعه بمهمّته الجديدة على الوجه الأكمل.

أسأل الله تعالى له دوام التوفيق والسداد، وكمال اللطف والعافية والرشاد، وأن يجعل جهده نافعًا للبلاد والعباد، على الوجه الذي يرضيه عز وجل ويسعد قلب الحبيب الأعظم صلى الله عليه وسلم.

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Alhamdulilah.

I am pleased to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our teacher, Dr. ʿAmr al-Wardānī—Secretary of Fatwa at Dār al-Iftāʾ al-Miṣriyyah and senior member of the advisory council to the Grand M***i of Egypt—on the great confidence he has received from the nation’s leadership through his appointment as a member of the House of Representatives, and his selection as Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Religious Affairs.

I first met our teacher nearly twenty years ago and studied with him in the sciences of logic, the application of legal branches to foundational principles, legal maxims, and comparative jurisprudence. I found him then—as he remains today—possessed of a calm pedagogical temperament, firmly grounded in knowledge, exceptional in constructing mental models and translating abstract meanings into clear, methodical forms. He is able to deconstruct the most intricate issues and reassemble them within a coherent and intelligible framework, with a holistic vision that brings together precise attention to detail and an awareness of the broader structure of the disciplines, all coupled with graciousness and refined scholarly etiquette. The impact of those early sessions is still very much alive in my mind to this day.

I have no doubt that his long experience in issuing fatwas, his ability to engage with people, and his insightful awareness of contemporary challenges will enable him to fulfill his new responsibilities in the most complete and effective manner.

I ask Allah Most High to grant him continual success, sound judgment, wellbeing and right guidance; to envelop him with His complete gentleness; and to make his efforts of benefit to the nation and its people, in a way that is pleasing to Him, Mighty and Glorious, and that brings joy to the heart of the Beloved Prophet , peace and blessings are upon him.

What Defines Us? A Friday Sermon After the Bondi Tragedy

In this Friday khutbah, at the Islamic Society of Algester in Brisbane, after the Bondi tragedy, I spoke about selective compassion and the danger of losing our humanity in times of fear and injustice. I reminded myself and others that suffering must move us regardless of who the victim is, and that the real defeat is not in lives lost or homes destroyed, but when hatred or numbness is allowed to take hold of the heart.

What Defines Us? A Friday Sermon After the Bondi Tragedy - Shaykh Ahmed El Azhary Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Last week, I experienced a moment that shook me deeply. In the early hours of the morning, while I was asleep on a couch, a man trespassed into the house through the window door next to the couch. I woke up to find a man dressed in black, shining a torch directly into my eyes. By God’s grace, I was not harmed, nor were any of the others in the house. Still, the shock and fear of that moment stayed with me.

That experience gave me a small glimpse into the terror people must have felt yesterday at Bondi Beach, witnessing innocent lives taken suddenly and violently before their own eyes. The horror of such moments is difficult to put into words, and my heart goes out to all those who lived through it.

We mourn the lives taken, pray for those injured, and honour the courage of first responders who ran toward danger without hesitation.

Our Jewish brothers and sisters, like any other community, deserve safety, dignity, and peace, here in Australia and everywhere. An attack on any community is an attack on the shared fabric that binds Australia as a nation.

I also wish to recognise Ahmed al-Ahmed, whose extraordinary courage in confronting an armed attacker and protecting strangers reminds us of what humanity looks like at its very best. In our Islamic tradition, this is known as Futuwwah (spiritual chivalry, which includes the courage to place the safety of others above oneself). The protection of life stands among the greatest acts of righteousness, and in Australia, it reflects the deepest spirit of neighbourliness and an exceptional civic courage.

Throughout my visits and talks with Muslim communities in Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney, I have consistently warned against a false and dangerous question that some feel pressured to ask themselves: Am I Muslim, or am I Australian? This is not a choice we are asked to make. Loving this country is not a compromise of faith nor is it a mere fulfilment of moral responsibility. It is a deeply human response to a place and a people. Had the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, seen Australia, he would have loved it. I have no doubt about that. It is this integrated love of faith and country that we saw embodied in Ahmed al-Ahmed’s actions.

I am now hearing voices asking whether Ahmed al-Ahmed is being recognised enough, or recognised in the right way, or recognised as a Muslim. With sincerity, I do not believe he was thinking about recognition at all. In moments like that, people act from character, not calculation. While I understand why some Muslims feel a sense of pride in his actions, especially at a time when migrants and minorities are often spoken about unfairly by some politicians, we should be clear about something important.

We should be proud of such courage wherever it appears, whether it comes from a Muslim or a non-Muslim. We should be grateful to live in a society that produces people willing to protect others at personal risk. This is not about “us” and “them”. It is about who we are together.

As we await further verified details, it is important to say clearly that it is too early to speculate about the identity or motives of the perpetrator. At the same time, tragedies like this remind us of the ongoing responsibility to address how individuals can be influenced, isolated, or misled online. This is work I have been engaged in for many years through confronting extremist narratives, debunking false religious claims, and training educators, and community leaders to recognise and respond to these subtleties in cooperation with families, institutions, and relevant agencies. Preventing radicalisation is not achieved through fear or blame, but through education, vigilance, cooperation, and the mastery to address such fallacies from within the tradition itself.

In moments like this, I ask my community to resist online arguments and political point-scoring. Be present for the victims. Check on neighbours who may be afraid today. Choose words and actions that heal, reassure, and strengthen our shared sense of belonging.

May God place those who have passed among the most honourable and upright of their faith, grant healing to the injured, patience and comfort to the grieving, and peace and protection for all who call Australia home.

Ahmed El Azhary
Visiting Scholar at the Islamic Society of Algester

To sit with Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf and Shaykh Ahmed Mamdouh in Brisbane is to witness the gentle intertwining of two great rivers: the Bālawī path of refinement and presence, and the Azhari tradition of precision and depth. Alhamdulilah, I have been blessed to drink from both cups, each shaping my journey in ways words rarely capture.

Here at the Islamic Society of Algester, their company is a reminder that knowledge is taken from living hearts before written lines, and that true guidance is carried in character long before discourse.

May Allah keep us close to those who illuminate, uplift, and anchor us on this path.

من مقدمات الأبلسة أن ينسب الإنسان الشيء فيما يجري حواليه إلى نفسه، وكأنه هو مركز الكون، إن أحدًا أحسن إليه ناله الخير، وإن أحدًا أساء إليه ناله الشر!

— سيدي الحبيب علي الجفري