Quran Commentary Handwritten by Late Scholar Ahmed Omar Hashem Unveiled in Egypt
The unveiling took place on the program Ahl Masr, which presented what it described as the first handwritten interpretation of the Quran by Hashem, a prominent scholar, and former president of Al-Azhar University. The program stressed that the Egyptian scholar completed the manuscript before his death earlier this month.
The work is regarded as one of Hashem’s most notable scholarly achievements. It combines brief commentary, explanatory notes, and reflections on the lessons within each surah.
Hashem, born on 6 February 1941 in Sharqia Governorate, rose to become a professor of Hadith, head of the Faculty of Usul al-Din, and later president of Al-Azhar University in 1995. He also served in the Egyptian Parliament and was a member of Al-Azhar’s Senior Scholars Authority.
Alaa Hashem, the scholar’s nephew, said the project began after “a true dream” seen by Sheikh Ahmed Rashid, who encouraged Hashem to undertake “the noble mission” of explaining Quranic verses.
He noted that the tafsir was designed to be accessible. “A brief commentary is included in the margins to make the verses easier to understand, while the lessons of each surah are presented in a simple way,” he said.
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He added that the work aims to serve as “a daily companion for Muslims,” combining the Quranic text with moral and educational guidance.
According to the program, the manuscript underwent a full review by Al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Academy, a process that took about six months. Final approval for publication is expected next week.
A group of supporters has covered the printing costs. The tafsir will be distributed free of charge as an ongoing charitable act on behalf of the late scholar.
Hashem passed away on 7 October 2025, after a long illness. His funeral prayer was held at the Grand Mosque of Al-Azhar, and he was laid to rest in his family’s burial ground in Bani Amer.
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb praised him as “one of the foremost Hadith scholars of our time,” noting that his sermons and books would continue to benefit students around the world.
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