­ Teachers and students at Darunnajah Islamic Institutes in Indonesia to His Eminence the Grand Imam: Your visit is a long-cherished dream and a historic moment we will always remember

­ Teachers and students at Dar Darunnajah Islamic Institutes in Indonesia: The Grand Imam has brought knowledge and enlightenment to Indonesia 

­ Director of Darunnajah Islamic Institutes in Indonesia announces naming of new building as ‘Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’

­ His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders: Seeing the enlightened faces of the students today confirms that Islam has men and women capable of carrying its message

­ His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif: Al-Azhar’s doors will remain open to all Indonesian students wishing to study there

­ His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to the students: Pursue knowledge and do not succumb to extremist currents that confuse national with Ummah allegiance

­ His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders to the students: Studying various schools of thought revives acceptance of others and openness to all cultures

Thousands of teachers and students at the Darunnajah Islamic Institutes (Darunnajah Nodern Pesantren) in Indonesia warmly welcomed His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb. They expressed their profound love and appreciation for His Eminence and their immense joy at his visit, emphasizing that this visit represented a long-cherished dream and a historic moment that they will always remember.

In his welcome address during the celebration titled “Al-Azhar and Its Civilizational Message in Islamic Advocacy and Education,” Dr. Sofwan Manaf, Director of Darunnajah Islamic Institutes, stated that the honor of hosting His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders was a significant and historic moment, long dreamed of by the institute’s founding father, who had always anticipated this visit. Today, the dream has come true. He noted that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif is greatly loved and respected by all Indonesians and has been instrumental in preparing generations of scholars and jurists who uphold the banner of knowledge and moderation worldwide, affirming that Al-Azhar Al-Sharif has always been and will continue to be the primary Islamic authority  for Muslims globally.

The director of Darunnajah Islamic Institutes confirmed that this visit serves as significant motivation for the institutes’ students and teachers to continue working toward preparing a new generation of Muslim preachers. He expressed his anticipation of opening more avenues of cooperation between Darunnajah Islamic Institutes and Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, noting that the Grand Imam has brought knowledge and enlightenment. He also announced that a new building soon to be opened at the institute would be named ‘Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.’

In his speech, His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb, expressed his immense pleasure at seeing the enlightened faces of the students and faculty, stating that their presence today instilled in him a sense of the capability of Islam’s men and women to carry its message. He highlighted the exemplary dedication and commitment to ethics and academic excellence of Indonesian students studying at Al-Azhar, affirming that the doors of Al-Azhar will always remain open to all Indonesian students wishing to study there. Furthermore, he announced a number of Al-Azhar scholarships for students at the Darunnajah Islamic Institutes and university to encourage their continued excellence.

His Eminence urged the students to be diligent in their studies, stating, “Knowledge, then knowledge, then knowledge,” and highlighted their role as the core of the nation’s future scholars and bearers of its message. He stressed the importance of “loving one’s nation” and resisting extremist currents that try to conflate national allegiance with allegiance to the Ummah, with the intention of sowing division among Muslims. He called on students to engage with and study all schools of jurisprudence and science, advising against adherence to a single school of thought. His Eminence pointed out that studying various schools of thought  fosters acceptance of others and openness to all cultures.