Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad |
|
|---|---|
Musliyar receiving an Award by OIC Today, Malaysia
|
|
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Founder of | Markaz (current chancellor) |
| Known for | First to issue Fatwa against the IS |
| Education | Musliyar Graduation Maulvi ‘Aalim |
| Other names | A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Home town | Kanthapuram, Kozhikode, India |
| Born | A. P. Aboobacker 22 March 1931 Kanthapuram, Malabar District, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Kozhikode, Kerala, India) |
| Spouse | Zainab |
| Religious career | |
| Literary works |
|
| Honors | Listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims (2009–2020) |
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, also known as Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar, was born on March 22, 1931. He is a very important religious leader in India. He is currently the tenth Grand Mufti of India.
A Grand Mufti is like the highest religious leader and scholar in a country. Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad also serves as the General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama. This is a big group of Muslim scholars in India.
Contents
Becoming the Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was chosen as the Grand Mufti of India in 2019. This happened after the previous Grand Mufti, Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qadri, passed away.
His inauguration ceremony was a huge event. It took place on February 24, 2019, at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Many people attended, setting a record for that location!
After he became Grand Mufti, he was welcomed in many countries. These included the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, and Indonesia. He also received a warm welcome in his home state of Kerala, India. Many important people attended these receptions, including politicians and religious leaders.
Working for Peace and Understanding
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is very active in promoting peace. He also works to help different religions understand each other better. He has taken part in many meetings and conferences both in India and around the world.
He leads the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference. He also spoke at the First World Tolerance Summit in Dubai. In 2019, he attended the Global Conference of Human Fraternity. There, he met Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church.
In 2014, he started a special project. He encouraged people to plant 100,000 trees across India. This was part of getting ready for the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference in New Delhi.
Helping Others Learn
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has helped many students become scholars. He is involved with several educational projects. These include Markaz Knowledge City and Markaz Unani Medical College & Hospital.
He believes that education is very important for peace. He once said in an interview that "Education is key to peace."
Important Ideas and Opinions
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has shared his thoughts on many important topics. He strongly speaks out against groups that use violence.
He believes that groups like the Islamic State (IS) are trying to harm the image of Islam. He says Islam is a religion that teaches peace and kindness.
Speaking Out Against Extremism
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was the first religious leader to issue a special statement against ISIS. This statement is called a fatwa. He issued his Fatwa on ISIS on August 27, 2014.
A fatwa is a non-binding religious opinion in Islamic law. This was the first fatwa issued against ISIS. In this document, he asked all Indian Sunni scholars to teach people about the dangers of terrorism. He has issued other fatwas against terrorist groups too.
Views on Citizenship Laws
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has spoken about the Citizenship Amendment Bill and Citizenship Amendment Act. He organized and attended many protests against this law.
He also visited the families of people who were killed during protests in Mangalore. He wanted to show his support and sadness for their loss.
Meeting Leaders About Citizenship
On March 20, 2020, he met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. He also met with the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah. He asked them to change the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. He wanted them to remove religion as a reason for who can become a citizen.
Thoughts on the Babri Masjid Decision
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad asked the Muslim community in India to accept the Supreme Court's decision on the Babri Masjid case. He said that everyone should work for peace in India.
He stated that protecting India and its unity is more important than any win or loss in a dispute. He also said that while Babri Masjid is a place of worship for Muslims, it is equally important for all people to live peacefully in India.
His Work with Organizations
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has been a leader in several important organizations. In the late 1980s, he was a leader of the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema. Later, this group split into two parts, and he became a leader of one part, known as the AP Faction.
Both parts of the group have similar organizations across India. Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad leads the organizations of the AP Faction. There have been talks to bring the two groups back together, but they have not merged yet.
When he became the Grand Mufti of India in 2019, he had already been the general secretary of the All-India Muslim Scholars Association for over 25 years. He was also the general secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama.
Awards and Recognition
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has received many awards for his important work:
- International Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award from Malaysia in 2023. He received this for promoting love in Islam.
- Islamic Heritage Award from Saudi Arabia in 2008. This was for protecting Islamic culture.
- Jewels of World Muslim Biz Award from OIC Today in 2016.
- Ras Al Khaimah Islamic Academy Award for best Social Worker in 1992.
- Indian Islamic Centre Award for his great work in education and social services.
- Hamil Al Gaith International Holy Quran Award in 2005.
- Best Indo-Arab Personality Award in 2006.
- He has been listed many times as an influential Muslim from India in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. This list is published by a center in Jordan.
Books He Has Written
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has written several books, including:
- Muhammad: The Messenger
- Religion, Polity and Nationalism
- The Mind of Islam
Want to Learn More?
- Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki
- Akhtar Raza Khan
- Sayyid Abdurrahman Al Bukhari
- Habib Ali al-Jifri
- Nuh Ha Mim Keller
- Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri
- Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
- Muhammad Metwali Al-Sha'raawi
- Muslim Jamaat
