Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad | |
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Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar | |
Grand Mufti of India | |
In office 24 February 2019 - | |
Preceded by | Akhtar Raza Khan |
Title | Sultanul Ulama, Qamarul Ulama, Abul Aytam |
Official name | مفتي الديار الهندية، الشيخ أبوبكر أحمد |
Personal | |
Born | Aboobacker 22 March 1931[1] |
Religion | Islam |
Nationality | Indian |
Home town | Kanthapuram |
Spouse | Zainab |
Children | Abdul Hakeem Azhari |
Parents |
|
Jurisprudence | Shafi‘i |
Notable work(s) | Established more than 500 educational and charitable institutions across India, Middle East and Malaysia. |
Alma mater | Baqiyat Salihat Arabic College |
Known for | Educational leadership |
Profession | Chancellor of Markaz |
Occupation | Secretary-General of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama |
Organization | |
Founder of | Markaz |
Muslim leader | |
Teacher | Bahrul Ulum Ustad O.K. Zainuddin Kutty Musliyar, Hadrat Sheikh Hasan, Hadrat Aboobacker, Hadrat Abdul Jabbar, Hadrat Saeed, Hadrat Meeran, Abdulla Musliyar Puthoor |
Students | |
Literary works | See the list |
Profession | Chancellor of Markaz |
Website |
Grand Mufti styles of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad | |
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Reference style | His Eminence |
Spoken style | The Honourable |
Religious style | Mufti Azam-e-Hind, and Mufti al-Diyar al-Hindiyyah and Shaykh al-Islām in Arabic |
Alternative style | Hadrat, Sheikh and Sahib-ul-Ma'ali |
Informal style | Mr. Grand Mufti |
Part of a series on |
Islam in India |
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Abubakr Ahmad (born as A. P. Aboobacker at Kanthapuram on 22 March 1931)[2] is the Grand Mufti of India.[3][4][5][6][7] He is also the General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, (the Indian Muslim Scholars Association)[8] Chancellor of the Markaz located in Karanthur, Kozhikode, Kerala and president of Islamic Educational Board of India.[9][10][11][12] He is a Muslim scholar, Educational revivalist, Environmentalist, and peace and interfaith dialogue worker.
He born to Mouthariyil Ahmad Haji (father) and Kunheema Hajjumma (mother) on 22 March 1931 at Kanthapuram.
Main article: Grand Mufti of India |
The Grand Mufti of India, is the most senior, most influential religious authority and spiritual leader of Muslims in India. Sheikh Abubakr is elected by Prominent Muslim organizations in India and appointed by the Electoral college.[13][14] (After the death of Grand Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan following illness on 20 July 2018,[15][16][17]) and sworn in as Grand Mufti of India in a programme conducted at Ramlila Maidan.[18][19][20] After his election conducted several receptions in various countries including UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and Indonesia especially at him birthplace, Kozhikode. Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Sri P. Sreeramakrishnan, Kerala Minister TP Ramakrishnan, Karnataka Ministers UT Khader and Rahim Khan, and A Pradeepkumar member of 14th Kerala Legislative Assembly, Kerala Haj Committee Chairman C Mohammed Faizi, Tamil Nadu Haj Committee Chairman Haji Abdul Jabbar, Mayor of Kozhikode Thottathil Raveendran, Zamorin K.C. Unniyanujan Raja and Dr. MGS Narayanan, politicians, religious and cultural leaders including from other Indian states participated in the civil reception.[21][22] In the function, Minister T. P. Ramakrishnan expressed appreciations to the Grand Mufti for the Government of Kerala.
Sheikh Abubakr is peace and interfaith dialogue worker. He conducted and attended in many National and International conferences for Peace and Interfaith dialogue.[23][24][25] He is the Chairman of Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference[26][27][28][29] and one of the Speakers of First World Tolerance Summit.[30] conducted by International Institute for Tolerance Dubai, UAE.[31] The banner of second Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference was "Renaissance of the World Through Peace"[32]
Sheikh Abubakr is a Environmentalist in India. He launched a campaign to plant 100,000 trees in different parts of India as part of preparations for the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference, held in New Delhi.[33]
His many students come from all over India.[34][35] He is involved with Markaz Knowledge City, Unani Medical College, and with higher education and research.[36][37][36]
Aboobacker has condemned Islamic extremism. He says that "Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) are trying to defame a religion that advocates peace and tolerance."[38][39] In November 2015, he commented on gender equality, saying: "Gender equality is something which is never going to be a reality. It is against Islam, humanity and was intellectually wrong."[40][41][42] and said "The obstinacy that boys and girls should study sitting on the same bench is an indirect attack aimed at destroying Islam and its culture. Gender equality is not Islamic, wise or humane."[43]
He said: "My speech referred to was to giving special support and care for women in a situation where they were kept apart from social sphere. This special care and support needed to be extended to women in public and professional life, and has been reiterated many a time by the judiciary. We live and abide by the Constitution of India which provides equal justice to all irrespective of caste, creed or sex.”"[44] Over the years he has expressed conservative views on women's liberties.[45][46]
He has received the Islamic Heritage Award for his service to protect Islamic culture and heritage by Jeddah-based Islamic Heritage. in January 2008.[48][49] He was awarded Jewels of World Muslim Biz Award by OIC Today in 2016.[50][51]He has consecutively been ranked for many years as an influential Muslim from India by the prestigious Directory, The 500 Most Influential Muslims published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan