Ahmad al Tayeb slams excommunication of Shia

Ahmad el-Tayeb, Sheikh of Egypt’s prestigious Al-Azhar University said there is no word of excommunicating Shia in Islam and the holy Qur’an announcing his preparation to pray behind a Shia prayer leader, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).
Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar adopted a tough stance on excommunicating Shia and said: “If we let these futile thoughts become dominant in our minds, then, we will not be Arab with Arabic culture and Muslim with Muslim culture, anymore.”

“We need to unite Muslims in Islamic countries” he said and added,”Unity of Muslim nations is what we need, without it, no one can be proud of being Muslim.”

In a bid to practically stress Muslim unity, Ahmad el-Tayeb, senior religious figure at Al Azhar, said he was prepared to stand behind the Shia elites to perform his prayer and said as rumored, they [the Shia] have no other Qur’an.

“None of the Sunni commentators talked about the Shia following another version of the holy Qur’an,” the statement which stipulates Shia-Sunni unity.

El-Tayeb said he will go to visit Nejaf, the sacred Shia city and the shrine of Imam Ali (AS), the first Shia Imam and cousin of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) when he visits Iraq after the formation of the country’s new government.

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