About the authors Shaykh ¿ali¿ al-Ja'fari (d.1979) was one of the most famous scholars of the Azhar, the Muslim world's premier institution of religious learning and its most authoritative voice, in the 20th century. He was also the imam of its mosque and a famous teacher and spiritual guide. He authored 15 works on various Islamic sciences, edited many others, and composed 12 volumes of poetry. Shaykh Abd al-Ghanial-Jafri (d.2012) followed his father's footsteps, becoming one of the greatest spiritual guides and teachers of his time. He oversaw the building of more than seventy mosque complexes throughout Egypt, as well as in Libya and Malaysia, most of which include Qur'an schools and provide health care and other social services.