Arabic: على جمعة Born: March 3,1952 Sheikh Ali Gomaa is Egypt's Grand Mufti, responsible for interpreting Sharia – Islamic Law – for the government. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appointed Gomaa in 2003 when his predecessor, Ahmed al-Tayeb, was given the role of Sheikh of Al-Azhar. As part of his job, he must approve any death sentence in Egypt before it can be carried out. The Grand Mufti also oversees Dar al-Ifta', considered the Muslim world's premier institution for religious legal direction. The Grand Mufti is considered the second highest Islamic role in Egypt, preceded only by the Sheikh of Al-Azhar. Gomaa was born in Bani Suwaif, Upper Egypt. His father was a lawyer specializing in personal status shariah law, and he transferred his love of books to his son. After graduating from the Faculty of Commerce, Gomaa enrolled in Al-Azhar University where he studied Jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, Quranic recitation and hadith methodology. He completed his second degree in 1979, a Masters in Sharia Law in 1985 and a doctorate in the same department in 1988. Throughout his life, Gomaa has been involved in many activated aimed to strengthen Islam through the Muslim world and communicate a more balanced view of Islam in the non-Muslim world. He serves as Expert Advisor to the Council of Arabic Languages, participated in preparing the organization's Encyclopedia of Jurisprudence, and in formulating the curricula of the College of Islamic Law in the Sultanate of Oman and the School of Islamic and Social Sciences in Washington, D.C. He has also been a participating advisor at Harvard University in Egypt, within the Department of Near Eastern Studies. Gomaa began preaching at Sultan Hassan Mosque in 1998. His sermons drew hundreds who would remain after prayers to hear Gomaa teach. His sermons deliver a message that emphasizes mercy, intelligence, and understanding when confronting the difficulties of the contemporary world. Gomaa worked with the Fatwa Committee at Al-Azhar from 1995-1997. In 2000, he became the supervisor of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque. The Islamic cleric is also a prolific writer on Islamic issues. He writes a weekly column in Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper and has published about 25 books on various aspects of Islam.
