Sheikh Allam is the 19th Grand Mufti of Egypt (succeeding HE Sheikh Dr Ali Gomaa). In February 2013, he was elected by Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars, headed by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb. His election by peers was unprecedented, as the Grand Mufti had previously been chosen by the President of Egypt. Allam is also a professor of Islamic jurisprudence and law at Al-Azhar University, and has written more than 25 works, many of which address issues pertaining to women.