The following is the statement of Al Azhar which appeared in Al Ahram newspaper in Egypt:

The Fatwa of Al Azhar (Click for larger image)

A lot of Islamic research has taken place in Al-Azhar Sharif concerning Bahaism and Bahais. In this statement issued in the name of the Chief of Azhar, the Great Imam, Jaadul Haq Ali Jaadul Haq, he stated that Babism and Bahaism started an innovation in Islam. They were promoted by the people who had gone out of Islam rather they were against all heavenly religions. The person responsible for this (evil) was Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi who gave himself the title of Bab (gate) that is to say that he was the unbroken link to the divine truths.

From then onwards, this false sect came to the name as Babism. Then from the successors of the innovator (of Babism, Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi) was a man named Husain Ali Noori, who gave himself the title of Bahaullah and called the new sect as Bahaism. After him, the leader of Bahaism and its most famous element was Abbas Effendi who died in the year 1923 and then was Shoghi Effendi Rabbani who expired in 1957.

The end of the first innovator (Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi) was execution in 1850 at the hands of the Iranian government of that time. This was in response to the verdicts of the jurists of that time who had pronounced verdicts stating Mirza Ali Mohammad Shirazi to be a heretic and out of the bounds of Islam. Likewise, the Iranian government exiled his successor Mirza Husain Noori to Turkey from where he migrated to Palestine. It was in Palestine where he expired in 1892 and is buried in Haifa.

Babism and Bahaism are the schools of thought that have been blended many philosophies and religions. They do not possess anything that the Islamic nation may need for its rectification and bringing about a unity in it. Rather, they have been acting as agents for and in the service of the Zionists and other imperial forces. Thus it the offspring of that thought and sect that has caused tribulations in the Islamic nation and waged a war against it in the name of religion.

Al-Azhar establishes that :
"Surely Islam has not allowed respect for any other religion other than what Quran has ordered us. Rather it has prevented that there be in a city the practice of any religion other than Islam and then Christianity and Judaism. The reason being that all the other religions are not legitimate and against the public order.

Surely Al-Azhar calls out to those who are responsible for the state of affairs in the Arab Republic of Egypt that they should be resolute in their stand against this deviated group which has rebelled against the religion of Allah and against the public order of this society. They should execute the verdict of Allah against them and promulgate laws to crush them and to defile and defame them and their thoughts. This should be done so as to support and protect all their fellow citizens lest they become apostate by this heretic sect and move away from the straight path of Allah.

Surely it is necessary for all of these people who have harmed the interests of Islam and the country that they should not be seen alive and if this should not happen then they should make sure that they never utter anything against Islam

This matter surely calls for a rapid and active response from the religious authorities and jurists and those responsible with the enforcements and executions of these matters. Let us always remember that Allah has Allah has granted to those in authority (the power of enforcement) what it has not granted to Quran too.

This mischief in Islam should be dealt with concern and attention as it is among the major crimes and sins against Islam. Then let us all rush out to defend the rights of Allah which have been defiled and violated. Let us also rush out to defend Islam, the religion of Allah, regarding which people have been put to trial by the false and vain talks (of these deviated sects). We may consider these actions to be small and insignificant but surely they have a great position near Allah.

O Allah! You bear witness that Al-Azhar has conveyed."