Mohammad Said-Tantaui -Supreme Imam  Al-Azhara

Mohammad Said Tantaui was born on 28 October 1928 in Suleim Al-Sharkiya Village of Suhag Province (Egypt).

Having received secondary education in his native village, in 1944 he entered Alexandrian Religious Institute. After graduation he entered the faculty "Religion Basics" of Al-Azhar University and graduated from it in 1958. In 1966 he defended his doctor's thesis on the subject "Interpretation of Holy Koran and Hadithes of Mohammad the Prophet".

In 1968 he started working as a lecturer at the faculty "Religion Basics" of the Al-Azhar University. In the period from 1972 to 1976 he worked as a teacher in Islamic University in Libya. In 1976 he became the dean of the faculty "Religion Basics" at the branch of Al-Azhar University in Asut City. From 1980 to 1984 he worked as the head of the Koran Interpretation department at the Islamic University in Medina (Saudi Arabia). In 1985 he became the head of the faculty of Islamic and Arabic sciences of the Al-Azhar University.

On 28 October 1986 he was appointed at the post of the Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt and worked in this capacity 10 years On 27 March 1996 he became the Supreme Imam and Sheikh Al-Azhara (according to the protocol status Sheikh Al-Azhara is equal to the Prime-Minister of ARE). He is the head of the Supreme Council Al-Azhara, which determines the general direction of the organization's activity.

Under Sheikh M.Tantaui Al-Azhar consolidated its status as the main and respected source of the Moslem law in the world and the generally accepted global centre of Islamic position.

The Sheikh shows openness to the developing Moslem countries including the Central Asian states of the CIS and constantly provides them with support in the construction of mosques and Islamic centres, equipment of the libraries, training of the highly efficient religious personnel etc. In 1999 he came to Uzbekistan with the official visit.

Sheikh Ì.Tantaui is a leading theology expert in Egypt and the author of more than twenty scientific publications on the issues of Islamic religion including books "Interpretation of Holy Koran", "Dialogue in Islam", "Islamic Norms and Shariah", "Basics of Pilgrimage Holy Fasting", "A woman in Islam" etc.