His Eminence, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Prof. Ahmad al-Tayeb expresses his heartfelt congratulations to the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Arab and Muslim leaders, kings, presidents, and princes on the occasion of the new Hijri year, 1445 A.H.
Al-Azhar stresses that the Prophet’s migration is a significant milestone in human and Islamic history as it changed the course of history and opened up a vast land for peaceful Islam through which it managed to promote among people the upright natural disposition (fitrah), heartfulness, and righteousness despite the passions of homesickness, separated families, and injustice. After all, the homeland from which Muslim were so forcibly displaced was the most beloved parts of the earth to Allah.
On this auspicious occasion, Al-Azhar calls upon all Muslims worldwide, particularly youth, to draw much inspiration from the lessons and morals learnt from this blessed migration, and to follow the example of our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in putting full trust in Allah, exerting more efforts for spreading the call to Allah (al-Dawah) and good morals among people, and work for the honor and glory of the homeland, praying to Allah, the Almighty, that the new Hijri year be a year of goodness, progress, prosperity, security, stability, and blessings for the whole world.
While Al-Azhar congratulates Muslims on this historic occasion, it also calls the wise around the world to look into Islamic history as well as the biography of the Prophet and ponder over the values and principles revealed in this honorable shariah. Furthermore, people should understand how the Prophet treated non-Muslims opposing his call and prophethood with mercy and kindness and how he (PBUH) established peaceful co-existence, solidarity, and respect for freedom of religion, as his biography is abundant with everything that world requires to overcome its deviations and contemporary crises.