Al-Azhar headquarters in Cairo
“A woman should receive, prior to the distribution of the inheritance, an amount equivalent to her share if its value is known, or the matter should be settled amicably … if its value is unknown,” El-Tayyeb said.
Speaking in Cairo at the Investing in Religious and Media Discourse and Its Impact on Protecting and Promoting Women’s Rights in the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference, attended by several officials, including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, El-Tayyeb said the position reflects recent rulings by the Council of Muslim Senior Scholars, Al-Azhar’s highest religious authority, on women’s rights.
He said arbitrary divorce without a valid reason is forbidden under Islamic law, whether initiated by the husband or requested by the wife, warning that such divorces harm families—particularly children—and undermine the objectives of Islamic law, which prioritize marital stability.
El-Tayyeb said the council has required arbitration in marital disputes before divorce is finalized and has urged religious scholars to adopt the most lenient jurisprudential opinions when issuing divorce rulings.
On inheritance, he stressed that women must receive their full legal shares, rejecting any infringement on those rights. He reiterated, however, the council’s rejection of calls for absolute equality in inheritance between men and women, saying such demands contradict explicit religious texts.
Addressing marriage, El-Tayyeb said a guardian has no right to prevent a woman from marrying a suitable partner of her choice without a legitimate reason. If such a dispute reaches the courts, a judge may authorise the marriage, he added.
He also said women may travel without a male guardian in contemporary contexts, provided the journey is safe, and they are accompanied by others or use means of travel that protect them from risk.
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