By Jana al-Masry | 2024-12-26

CAIRO -- Al-Qaeda systematically violates Islamic principles while exploiting religion as a cover for violence, wealth accumulation and power consolidation, according to scholars from Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar Institute.

"Since its inception, al-Qaeda has trampled the most basic teachings of Islamic law; namely, tolerance and peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims," Al-Azhar cleric Mustafa al-Mansi told Al-Fassel.

The presence of thousands of non-Muslim places of worship across historically Islamic regions attests to this deep-rooted tradition of tolerance, al-Mansi said.

But al-Qaeda has flouted these teachings, he added, destroying religious sites and coercing non-Muslims to pay jizya -- an ancient Islamic tax it has twisted for its own purposes -- under duress, without supplying any protection in return.

The extremist group cherry-picks religious texts while disregarding Islam's categorical bans on killing civilians and waging war against fellow Muslims, as highlighted by the CTC Sentinel.

This selective interpretation of Qur'anic texts and hadiths has inflicted significant damage on Islam's image, surpassing even the harm caused by external adversaries, al-Mansi noted.

"It has committed massacres without parallel in history like the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack, which killed thousands of civilians," he said.

The group's bombings and attacks also have killed countless Muslim and non-Muslim civilians in Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Asheikh, has labeled al-Qaeda "enemy number one of Islam," asserting in 2014 that its extremist ideology and terrorism are "not in any way part of Islam."

Fighting false teachings

Dar al-Ifta's fatwa monitoring observatory has noted that groups like al-Qaeda prioritize supremacy over shared values, shifting loyalties as it suits their goals.

To counteract this, organizations such as Egypt's Al-Azhar and Dar al-Ifta monitor the activities of extremist groups.

"We are actively working to correct the misconceptions spread by al-Qaeda about Islam," said Al-Azhar cleric and professor Mahmoud Saadeddine.

He stressed that "whoever distorts Islam is not a true Muslim" -- a view shared by leading Muslim scholars around the world.

Through education, dialogue and counter-extremism initiatives, Islamic institutions aim to refute destructive narratives and reinforce Islam's legacy of tolerance, peace and knowledge.

In 2024, Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism partnered with the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution to deconstruct extremist messages and offer alternatives rooted in authentic Islamic teachings.

Saadeddine emphasized that Islam promotes education and knowledge to benefit society, whereas al-Qaeda fosters ignorance to manipulate communities.

Supporting education "is a key duty of Al-Azhar," he said.