CAIRO — Muslim clerics from Al-Azhar, Egypt’s premier religious institution, chose the country’s top Islamic jurist in a direct and secret ballot on Monday that was the first such vote in six decades.

The 24-member Senior Scholars Authority said it elected Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim, a professor in Islamic jurisprudence, to the post of Grand Mufti. The selection is now expected to be ratified by President Mohammed Morsi, which will make it final.