Hawzah News Agency - (Cairo - Egypt) - An intellectual debate between the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, and Mohamed Othman Elkhosht, President of Cairo University grabbed nationwide attention in Egypt.

The two discussed “mechanisms of renewing religious discourse and dealing with heritage” at a conference for Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top religious authority, dubbed “Al-Azhar International Conference on Renovation of Islamic Thought.”

The conference was attended by a number of top leaders; prominent political and religious figures; and representatives of the Awqaf (Endowments) Ministry; Dar Al-Iftaa, Egypt’s religious authority authorized with issuing religious fatwas (opinions); and Islamic councils from 41 Arab and Islamic countries.

Elkhosht rejected the attempt to “revive the science of religion” and called for the need to rather “develop the science of religion”, explaining that it was manmade.

Religious studies, according to Elkhosht, are intended to understand divine revelation.

“Interpretation, jurisprudence, and the science of hadith are created by human beings and therefore are capable of development and even replaceable with new sciences,” Elkhosht said.

El-Tayyeb, for his part, slammed Elkhosht for giving a poorly prepared speech.

“I would have liked for the speech that would be delivered at an international conference, and on a delicate topic, to have been prepared and studied previously, not to come as a result of improvised ideas and thoughts,” El-Tayyeb told Elkhosht in his rebuttal.

Elkhosht explained that everyone is right and wrong, saying: “I am a Muslim and I do not feel or follow any other stream.” He added that he respects Al-Azhar strongly.

The debate went viral on social media.

“El-Tayyeb is trying to restore the role of Al-Azhar, better late than never, may God help him and restore the role of former imams,” Mohammed Abdelshakour posted on Facebook.