Mufti of Zahle and Bekaa His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Ali Mohammed Al-Ghazawi, may Allah preserve him.

Born in Ghazze - West Bekaa in 1971.

Educational Background:

• Studied primary school at Ghazze Official School.
• Obtained Islamic Secondary Certificate in Damascus from Al-Fath Islamic Institute in the academic year 1991-1992.
• Earned a Bachelor's degree in Sharia from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, in the academic year 1995-1996.
• Obtained a Master's degree in Comparative Jurisprudence with distinction from Beirut Islamic University, Dar Al-Fatwa, Lebanon, in 2008, with a thesis titled: "Study and Verification of Al-Hawi by Al-Ghaznawi in the Fundamentals of Religion and Jurisprudence."
• Achieved a Ph.D. in Comparative Jurisprudence between Islamic Sharia and Lebanese Law with very good grade from Beirut Islamic University, Dar Al-Fatwa, Lebanon, in 2016, with a thesis titled: "The Sharia Judge: His Immunity, Rulings, and Authorities - A Comparative Study in Sharia and Lebanese Law."
• Authorized in the recitation of Hafs from Asim by the late Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Al-Halabi, may Allah have mercy on him.
• Mastered the Ten Readings through the Shatibiyya and Dura methods with a connected chain of transmission from Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Kharsa Al-Damascene in 2014.
• Obtained certification in Quranic competitions from the General Secretariat of the King Abdulaziz Quran Memorization Competition in 1433 AH - 2012 CE.

Positions Held:

• Imam and Khateeb of Al-Adl Mosque in Damascus from 1988 to 1995.
• Imam and Khateeb of Sultan Yakoub Al-Tahou (Lousi) Mosque in West Bekaa since 1996 until today.
• Chief of Quran Reciters in Bekaa since 2008 until today.
• Member of Azhar Bekaa Municipal Council since 1997, later appointed as Deputy Head of the Municipal Council in 2020.
• Member of Zakat Fund Committee - Bekaa Branch since 1996, later became the President of the Administrative Body starting from 2022.
• Member of Gaza Charitable Committee since its establishment.
• Secretary-General of Azhar Bekaa Association since its establishment in 2004, later appointed as Deputy President of the Association in 2019.
• Member of the Committee for Auditing the Approved Qurans from Dar Al-Fatwa in Lebanon since 2008 until today.
• Issued fatwas at Dar Al-Fatwa in Lebanon since 2017.
• General Manager of Azhar Bekaa Institutions in 2018.
• President of Azhar Bekaa Institutions after the passing of His Eminence Mufti Sheikh Khalil Al-Mays, may Allah have mercy on him, from 2022 until today.
• Elected as the Mufti of Zahle and West Bekaa on December 18, 2022.
• Supervises Master's and Ph.D. scientific theses and participates in their defense at Beirut Islamic University, Al-Maqasid University, Tripoli University, Jannan University, and Imam Al-Ozaei University.
• Participates in judging international and local Quranic competitions, including the International Azm Tripoli Competition, the International Competition at the Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf, the Hashemite International Competition in Jordan, the Tunisia Competition, and the annual Saudi Embassy competitions in Lebanon.
• Quran and Jurisprudence teacher at Beirut Islamic University, Bekaa Branch, since its establishment in 2002 until today.
• General Educational and Administrative Supervisor for the Faculty of Islamic Sharia in Bekaa and Azhar Bekaa Schools affiliated with Dar Al-Fatwa in Bekaa since 1997.

Publications:

1. Excellence in Islam.
2. Master's thesis: "Study and Verification of Al-Hawi Al-Qudsi by Al-Ghaznawi."
3. The Sharia Judge: His Immunity, Rulings, and Authorities - A Comparative Study in Sharia and Lebanese Law (Published).