On the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, President ʿAbd el Fattāḥ al-Sīsī and the Egyptian people received congratulations from the Grand Imām, Dr. Aḥmad al-Ṭayyīb, Sheikh of al-Azhar. According to al-Azhar, the revolution was a turning point in Egyptian history that signaled the end of a string of occupations and the emergence of a powerful national government with the mission of defending the country, its citizens, and its resources, upholding the rule of law, and recovering what had been lost. Noting that the army's achievement was largely due to the people's unity, al-Azhar urged all Egyptians to keep up their hard work in the direction of development and prosperity. They prayed to God to keep Egypt secure and to grant stability, security, and safety to the country.