Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy محمد سيد طنطاوي
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
In office 27 March 1996 – 10 March 2010
Preceded by	Gad el-Haq Ali Gad el-Haq
Succeeded by	Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb
Grand Mufti of Egypt
In office 28 October 1986 – 27 March 1996
Preceded by	Abd al-Latif Abd al-Ghani Hamzah
Succeeded by	Nasr Farid Wasil
Personal details
Born	(1928-10-28)28 October 1928 Sohag, Egypt
Died	10 March 2010(2010-03-10) (aged 81) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Alma mater	Al-Azhar University

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy (Arabic: محمد سيد طنطاوي‎; 28 October 1928 – 10 March 2010) was a very important Islamic scholar from Egypt. He was known as Tantawi. For ten years, from 1986 to 1996, he served as the Grand Mufti of Egypt. This role meant he was the highest religious law expert in the country. In 1996, the president at the time, Hosni Mubarak, chose him to be the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. This is a very respected position in the Islamic world. Tantawy held this important role until he passed away in 2010.

Early Life and Studies

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy was born on October 28, 1928. His birthplace was a village called Selim ash-Sharqiyah, in the area of Tama, Sohag, Egypt. He started his religious studies at the Alexandria Religious Institute in 1944.

He continued his education at Al-Azhar University, a famous center for Islamic learning. He graduated from its religious studies faculty in 1958. Later, in 1966, he earned his PhD. His special area of study was Hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad) and Tafsir (explaining the Qur'an). His PhD thesis was about the Children of Israel as mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

After getting his PhD, Tantawy became a teacher. He worked at Al-Azhar and also taught at the Islamic University of Libya. In 1980, he moved to Saudi Arabia. There, he led the Tafsir department for advanced studies at the Islamic University of Madinah. He returned to Egypt in 1985 and became the head of the Faculty of Ausol Aldeen at the Alexandria Religious Institute.

Important Roles

In 1986, on his 58th birthday, Tantawy was chosen to be the Grand Mufti of Egypt. He held this important job for nearly ten years. As Grand Mufti, he gave official religious opinions, known as fatwas, on many issues.

Then, on March 27, 1996, President Hosni Mubarak appointed him to an even higher position. Tantawy became the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque and the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University. Al-Azhar is one of the most respected and important Sunni Muslim institutions in the world.

During his time, Tantawy also completed a very long and detailed explanation of the Qur'an. This work, called Al-tafser al-waset, was seven thousand pages long and took him over ten years to finish.

In 2004, Tantawy led the funeral prayers for Yasser Arafat. Arafat was a well-known Palestinian leader. Tantawy said that Arafat had bravely defended the Palestinian cause.

Views and Opinions

Rules for Money and Banks

In 1989, there was a big discussion in Egypt about how banks work. Some people believed that charging interest on loans was not allowed in Islam. Tantawy, who was the Grand Mufti at the time, gave an important religious opinion. He said that some types of interest, like those from government bonds or regular savings accounts, were acceptable. He explained that these were more like earning a profit, which is allowed. This opinion helped the banking system in Egypt grow. However, his view was debated by other Islamic scholars.

Women Leading Prayers

Tantawy had a specific view on women leading prayers. He believed that women should not lead mixed groups of men and women in Friday prayers. He explained that during worship, people should focus on humility and modesty. He felt that a woman leading prayers for men might cause a distraction.

After the 9/11 Attacks

After the terrible attacks on September 11, 2001, Tantawy spoke out strongly. He said that killing innocent people, including men, women, and children, was not brave at all. He also stated that Osama bin Laden's call for a holy war against the West was wrong and not something Muslims should follow. Tantawy emphasized that the Qur'an clearly forbids such violent acts.

Views on Jewish People

In the 1960s, Tantawy wrote a long book about Jewish people as described in the Qur'an and Islamic traditions. In his book, he wrote that the Qur'an describes some negative traits of Jewish people. He also stated that only a small number of Jewish people keep their promises. However, he also mentioned that not all Jewish people are the same. He believed that good ones become Muslims, while others do not. He also said that the Western Wall had no Jewish importance and that figures from the Hebrew Bible were Muslims.

Human Rights in Saudi Arabia

In June 2000, Tantawy shared his thoughts on human rights in Saudi Arabia. He believed that Saudi Arabia was a leading country in protecting human rights. He said this was because the country followed Islamic law (Shari'a) in a fair and objective way.

Gender Affirming Surgery

In 1988, Tantawy gave a religious opinion about gender affirming surgery. He said that it is allowed to have surgery to correct hidden male or female organs if a trusted doctor recommends it as a treatment. However, he stated that it is not allowed to have such surgery just to change one's gender from male to female or vice versa, if there is no medical need.

Death and Legacy

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy passed away on the morning of March 10, 2010. He was 81 years old. He died from a heart attack while visiting Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was about to board his flight back to Egypt at King Khaled International Airport. He had just attended an award ceremony for the King Faisal International Prize.

Tantawy's death was unexpected, as he was thought to be in good health. His family asked for him to be buried in Medina, Saudi Arabia. This city is also where Prophet Muhammad is buried. His funeral prayers were held at the Prophet's Mosque, and he was buried in the Jannatul Baqee cemetery. After his death, Mohamed Wasel took over his duties temporarily. Later, President Mubarak appointed Ahmad at-Tayyeb as the new head of Al-Azhar.

Many leaders and scholars from around the world sent their condolences. These included Pope Benedict XVI, US President Barack Obama, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Leaders from Malaysia, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen, and Azerbaijan also expressed their sadness.

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  Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy