Sheikh Ali Gomaa is the former Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He is one of the foremost Islamic scholars in the world. Since retiring from the post of Grand Mufti in 2013, Sheik Gomaa has remained active and is continuously sought after for his religious counsel.

Upon completing his undergraduate studies in the faculty of commerce, he enrolled in al-Azhar University. During his first year in al-Azhar, Sheik Gomaa was able to master and memorize many of the foundational texts other students completed in the Azhar high school system. These included works in jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, Quranic recitation, and hadith methodology. After completing a second bachelor’s degree from al-Azhar in 1979, Sheikh Ali enrolled in the university’s master’s degree program in Islamic shariah and law, which he completed in 1985. Sheik Gomaa then proceeded to pursue his doctorate at al-Azhar and received his PhD in 1988.