[IslamCity] Al-Azhar Rare Manuscripts Go Online(http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-05/22/article02.shtml)

[sahannan]

�The Web site will be the gateway for peoples from across the globe to learn more about the Islamic heritage and civilization,� Tantawi said. By Sobhy Mujahid, IOL Correspondent CAIRO, May 22, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) � In one of the biggest e-projects in the Muslim world, Al-Azhar has launched a long-awaited Web site featuring digital copies of its huge and rare library. �The project enables Internet users worldwide to have access to the 42,000 manuscripts and 128,000 books of Al-Azhar�s library, Egypt's second biggest library after the Bibliotheca Alexandrina,� Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyid Tantawi told the launch ceremony on Saturday, May 21. The five-million-dollar project offers digital translations, in different languages, of Al-Azhar�s manuscripts, some dating back 1400 years, in tandem with Al-Azhar's Faculty of Languages and Translation. Dr. Abdullah Al-Karam, the Executive Director of the Dubai Knowledge Village and Manager of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Information Technology Education Project, said the digital library is the biggest scanning project worldwide. �So far, the project has scanned nearly 14,000 scripts including 900,000 pages,� he noted. The project was launched in April 2000 under the patronage of Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Islamic Voice Sheikh Tantawi said the mega-project will serve as the Islamic voice, presenting the world with the true image of Islam and its merciful tenets. �The Web site will be the gateway for peoples from across the globe to learn more about the Islamic heritage and civilization. �It will also offers the possibility of getting answers to religious questions or fatwas (edicts) through e-mails,� he added. Al-Azhar has recently revealed plans to launch a satellite channel to counter anti-Islam onslaughts and highlight the true essence of Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance. Al-Azhar, which means the �most flourishing and resplendent,� is the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world. It was named after Fatima Al-Zahraa, daughter of prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who gave rise to the Fatimid dynasty which governed Egypt from 969 to 1171 CE. The first courses at Al-Azhar were given in 975 CE and the first college was built 13 years later. Al-Azhar first admitted women students in 1961, albeit in separate classes. Also in 1961, subjects in engineering and medicine were added to classes on Shari�ah, the Noble Qur�an and the intricacies of Arabic language. Back To News Page Please feel free to contact News editor at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.