Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad |
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Musliyar receiving an Award by OIC Today, Malaysia
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| 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 |
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| Honors | Listed in The 500 Most Influential Muslims (2009–2020) |
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (born March 22, 1931), also known as Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar, is a very important religious leader in India. He is currently the tenth Grand Mufti of India. A Grand Mufti is the highest religious authority for Muslims in a country. He also serves as the General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, which is a group of Indian Muslim scholars.
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Becoming the Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was chosen as the Grand Mufti of India by a group called the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam. This happened after the previous Grand Mufti, Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qadri, passed away in 2018. His official inauguration took place on February 24, 2019, at a large event in Ramlila Maidan. Many people attended this event, setting a record for the venue.
After he became Grand Mufti, many celebrations were held for him in different countries. These included the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, and Indonesia. There was also a big welcome event in his home state of Kozhikode, India. Important leaders and officials from various states and cities attended this event.
Working for Peace and Understanding
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has worked hard to promote peace and understanding between different religions. He has attended and led many meetings both in India and around the world to discuss peace.
He is the Chairman of the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference. He also spoke at the First World Tolerance Summit in Dubai, UAE. In 2019, he attended the Global Conference of Human Fraternity. There, he met Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, to discuss shared values. In 2014, he started a campaign to plant 100,000 trees across India. This was part of the preparations for a peace conference held in New Delhi.
Promoting Education
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad believes that education is very important. He has helped many students become scholars from different parts of India. He is involved with Markaz Knowledge City, which is a big educational project. He also supports Markaz Unani Medical College & Hospital, focusing on higher education and research. He once said in an interview that "Education is key to peace."
Important Beliefs and Stands
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has shared his views on many important topics.
Against Extremist Groups
He has strongly spoken out against Islamic extremism. He believes that violent groups like the Islamic State (IS) are trying to harm the image of Islam, which is a religion that teaches peace.
His Fatwa Against ISIS
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was the first religious leader to issue a fatwa against ISIS. A fatwa is a non-binding legal opinion in Islamic law. He issued his fatwa against ISIS on August 27, 2014. This document was meant to help all Indian Sunni Muslim scholars teach people about the dangers of terrorism. Even though he was not yet the Grand Mufti at that time, his fatwa was very important. He has issued other fatwas against ISIS and other terrorist groups since then.
Views on Citizenship Laws
He spoke out against the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He organized and attended many protests against these laws. However, he did not support a general strike organized by some groups, saying it was not needed. He also visited families of protesters who were killed in police firing in Mangalore to offer his sympathy. He had a specific view on women protesting, stating that "women shouldn’t hit streets against the CAA, and shouldn't raise slogans or clench fists."
In March 2020, he met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah. He asked them to change the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens so that religion would not be a factor in who can become a citizen.
On the Babri Masjid Verdict
Before the Supreme Court verdict on the Babri Masjid dispute case, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad asked the Muslim community in India to accept the court's decision. After the verdict, he said, "We respect the Supreme Court. Everyone must strive for peace in India." He emphasized that protecting India and its peace is more important than any single victory or defeat.
Organizations He Leads
In the late 1980s, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad was a leader of the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema. Later, due to some disagreements, he formed a separate group known as the AP Faction. The other group became known as the EK Faction.
Both groups, mainly based in Kerala, have created similar organizations at the national and state levels. Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is a key leader in the organizations of the AP Faction. There have been efforts to reunite the two groups to gain more political influence, but as of June 2020, they had not merged.
When he became Grand Mufti in February 2019, he was already known as 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 and honors for his work:
- International Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award: Malaysia honored him with this award on July 20, 2023. It recognized his important work in spreading the message of love in Islam. The Malaysian King, Al Sultan Abdulla Sultan Ahmad Shah, presented the award.
- Islamic Heritage Award: He received this award in January 2008 for protecting Islamic culture and heritage.
- Jewels of World Muslim Biz Award: OIC Today gave him this award in 2016.
- Ras Al Khaimah Islamic Academy Award: He received this in 1992 for being the best Social Worker.
- Indian Islamic Centre Award: This award was for his excellent work in education and social services.
- Hamil Al Gaith International Holy Quran Award: He received this in 2005.
- Best Indo-Arab Personality Award: This award was given to him in 2006.
- He has been listed for many years as an influential Muslim from India in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. This list is published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.
Literary Works
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad has also written several books:
- Muhammad: The Messenger
- Religion, Polity and Nationalism
- The Mind of Islam
See also
- 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
