Ali Gomaa

Ali ibn Nayif ibn Ahmad Gomaa (b. 1371 AH / 1952 CE) is an Egyptian Islamic scholar who served as the Grand Mufti of Egypt from 2003 to 2013 — one of the most prominent Sunni Islamic legal authorities in the world. Born in Bani Suwaif, Upper Egypt, he studied at al-Azhar University and received a doctorate from the Islamic Research Academy at al-Azhar. He studied under major scholars including Sheikh Muhammad Isma'il as-Subki and became deeply grounded in the Shafi'i legal tradition and Ash'ari theology.

Ali Gomaa is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, particularly the Shafi'i madhhab, and for his engagement with contemporary legal questions. As Grand Mufti, he issued thousands of fatwas on issues ranging from worship and personal conduct to finance and medical ethics. He authored numerous works including al-Bayan lima Yashghal al-Adhhan (Clarification of Matters that Occupy Minds), a collection of contemporary fatawa; and al-Madkhal ila Dirasah al-Madhhab al-Maliki, an introduction to Maliki jurisprudence. He has also written on the science of fatwa, the divine names, and Islamic spirituality.

Gomaa is a Sufi in the Shadiliyyah tradition and has written on Sufi spiritual practices. After his tenure as Grand Mufti, he continued teaching at al-Azhar and engaging in public discourse. He is known for his moderate public positions and his engagement with interfaith dialogue and Western audiences. He remains one of the most recognized faces of contemporary traditional Egyptian scholarship.