Islam, Religious Authority and The State: The Case of Egypt

Abstract The question of religious authority strikes at the heart of the relationship between religion and politics in Egypt. Whoever may legally claim religious authority has the power to shape religion in a politicised and objectified manner. This is why, apart from Islamists, conservative initiatives to establish religious influence over public affairs are also advocated by other actors, such as state institutions who are generally more cautious about politicising religion. This paper focuses on the relationship between state and religious authority institutions in Egypt. It aims to show how the state-cooption of religious institutions like Al-Azhar has been useful for the purposes of political legitimisation. The paper discusses how the various tactics adopted by al-Sisi’s government to quell Islamist groups as well as the reforms of the Al-Azhar curriculum have strengthened the path of dependence in which Al-Azhar has been locked since 1961. These reforms have not only put the authenticity of Al-Azhar’s scholarly tradition into question but also tarnished the image of Al-Azhar as the leading centre of Islamic learning in the Muslim world. It is thus very important for Al-Azhar to maintain a balance in order to win a degree of legitimacy in the eyes of its supporters as well as critics.