The Islamic Research Academy has released a statement on the controversial calls for forming a doctrinal entity of the three divine religions under the name "the Abrahamic Religion". The statement stated that Al-Azhar unequivocally rejects calls for a consolidated from of the Allah-given Religions, emphasizing that the rejection does not contradict inter-faith dialogue. The statement highlights the following:
- Different beliefs and religions reflect a universal as well as a human norm bestowed by Allah; Who says, “And if your Lord has so willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ. Except those to whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that, He created them” (Quran, 11:118–119).
- The freedom of belief does not contradict human communication and cooperation among the followers of different religions, based on righteousness and piety, not sin and aggression. It should not be confused with respecting others’ religions and believing in them, as Allah says, "To each of you We prescribed a law and a method" (Qur’an, 5:48).
- Al-Azhar rejects the call for religious unity known as the Abrahamic Religion, stresses its harms and how it contradicts the core of divine religions, man’s differences in terms of color, race, and belief. It is a call that falls foul of the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. Whoever calls for this trend should seek another path to carry out his own agenda away from the sacredness of divine religions.
- Al-Azhar’s openness to other religions aims at highlighting the common grounds among religions as a step to healing the contemporary human crises that undermine noble human goals.