Shaykh Marzūq al-Shahāt, the head of the Azhar's Fatwá committee, says that Azhar scholars may join political parties. However, he says they are restricted from joining any religious streams, whether Salafī, Muslim Brotherhood, or others.

He added that it is not appropriate for any Azhar scholar to join any religious stream because the Azhar is the highest Islamic institution.

Al-Shahāt said that he doesn't mind if an Azhar scholar joins a political party, as long as they differentiate between religion and politics and never use religion to serve political purposes.