Mufti Ali Gomma

Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt succeeding Muhammad Sayyed Tantawy, said in an official Fatwa, that was published by leading state daily Al-Ahram, that Islamic Sharia ( bars women from becoming head of state. Only a week later the Mufti denied and refuted his statements claiming he issued a fatwa barring women from political leadership.

He clarified:

"This ruling does not refer to the head of a modern state but to the traditional role of Caliph as both secular head of state and imam of the Muslims"
"The head of state in a contemporary Muslim society, be he a president, prime minster or king, is no longer required or expected to lead Muslims in prayer. Therefore, it is permissible for women to hold the highest office in modern Muslim nations,"

The Mufti very well understands the Islamic prohibition for women taking positions of ruling, but only within the Khilafah (Caliphate). He argues that, in the absence of the Islamic State (Caliphate) which ceased in 1924, a Muslim women can assume the role of a President, which doesn't require her to perform duties of a male Caliph... such as leading prayers.

From this follows the discussion:
1. Is it permissible for Muslim women to assume any position of Ruling other than Caliph?
The Sahabi Abu Bakra (ra) answers this:

When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard that the people of Persia had appointed the daughter of Chosroes as their queen, he said, “No people will ever prosper who appoint a woman in charge of them.” [Al-Bukhari, sahih]

2. Is it permissible for any Muslim (male or female) to become a President/prime minister/king?

Muslims have to be careful when using or adopting terminologies which contradict the essence of Islam. Islam prohibits Kingdoms and other types of ruling systems, as it has legislated a specific ruling system called the Khilafah. The absence of the Khilafah necessitates its re-establishment and not its abandonment for jahilli/taghouti modern systems.

The colleagues of Mufti Ali Gomma at the notorious Al-Azhar have disagreed with his views, some have suggested that the Mufti retracted his fatwa suffering political pressure. How can this be acceptable? when the views and fatwa of the Mufti legitimises the current brutal dictators, despots and tyrants installed by the west known as Presidents, Prime ministers and Kings of the Muslim world? Furthermore this justifies Muslim women to take such illegal positions even though she has clearly been ordered otherwise.

This should not be surprising when Ali Gomma has succeeded Shaykh Tantawi, who gained notoriety when he abrogated the Qur’an in giving his permission to French school girls not to wear the hijab.

Al Azhar university is the oldest and most prestigious Islamic university in the world. Some of the greatest scholars that the Islamic world have known have studied in its libraries. The position of the Grand Shaykh of Al-Azhar is a position of great responsibility, dignity and authority. Those who achieve such a position are endowed with such knowledge and wisdom that the very fate and progression of the Ummah may rest on their shoulders. The entire Islamic world including the Khaleefah looks to such men with awe and respect and the words of such a man have the weight to change the progress of history. Or at least that’s how it used to be.

How can it be that the Grand Shaykh of Al-Azhar could spend his time justifying the Presidents and Kings and distorting Islam to accommodate his paymasters?

The Prophet (saw) said “The best Jihad is a word of truth spoken to a tyrant ruler.”

As for the Khilafah, what more is it than the state that implements the system that Allah (swt) sent with his Prophet (saw) fulfilling his order in the Qur’an;
It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, that when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision. (Qur'an 33:36).

And the Prophet (saw) said “Whosoever dies without having a bay’ah (pledge of allegiance to the Khaleefah) upon his neck, dies a death of jahilliyah (the days of ignorance pre-Islam).”

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