Abdul Wahab Adam (8 December 1938 – 22 June 2014) was an

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of reli ...

, Ameer (head) and Missionary-in-Charge of the

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. He was a member of Ghana's

National Peace Council The National Peace Council (NPC), founded in 1908 and disbanded in 2000, acted as the co-ordinating body for almost 200 groups across Britain, with a membership ranging from small village peace groups to national trade unions and local authorities. ...

and the

National Reconciliation Commission The National Reconciliation Commission was established in January 2002 by the Parliament of Ghana. The goal of the commission was to establish an "accurate, complete and historical record of violations and abuses of human rights inflicted on persons ...

that was set up in 2002.

Personal life

Adam was born in December 1938 at Brofeyedur - Adansi in the

Ashanti Region The Ashanti Region is located in southern part of Ghana and it is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of or 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the mo ...

of Ghana. He completed his secondary education at T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School,

Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...

, and then proceeded to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Seminary and Ahmadiyya Theological University, in Pakistan, where he received Diploma in Arabic and Honours Degree in Theology and

Islamic Jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and e ...

in 1960. After serving as the Brong-Ahafo Regional Missionary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission from 1960 - 1969, he became the Principal of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Missionary Training College at

Saltpond Saltpond is a town and the capital of the Mfantsiman Municipal District in the Central Region of South Ghana. Saltpond has a population of 24,689 people. Economy History Saltpond was in a state of economic decline since the landing beach was ...

, Ghana. In 1971, he was appointed to the high office of the Deputy Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. He was subsequently promoted to the position of Ameer (Head) and Missionary-in-Charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana. He has steered the affairs of the Mission with distinction since 1975. He died on 22 June 2014. Three days later,

State funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

was held, attended by the

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

, Ministers of State, members of parliament and various leaders of the Christian and Muslim faiths.

Work

Adam served as a member of various governmental and non-governmental organizations which aim to promote values of democracy, peace and human rights. He was a member of

Centre for Democracy and Development The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) was established in the United Kingdom in 1997 and subsequently registered in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1999. The organization aims to promote the values of democracy, peace and human rights in Africa, ...

(CDD), the National Peace Council of Ghana, and the National Reconciliation Commission. He also served as the vice-chairman of Ghana Integrity lnitiatve and the co-founder and National President of Council of Religions of Ghana. In his capacity as a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Adam worked as the Co-Editor of Muslim Herald,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and the Editor of Ahmadiyya Bulletin, London. He further served as a member World Council of Ahmadi Muslim Jurists. In his relationship with various Muslim bodies of Ghana, he is credited with the establishment of the Hilal Committee and the granting of national holidays to mark

Eid al-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

and

Eid-al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's comm ...

festivals on the Islamic calendar.

References

Ghanaian Ahmadis 2014 deaths Ghanaian religious leaders Ghanaian theologians 1938 births People from Ashanti Region T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School (Kumasi) alumni {{Islamic-scholar-stub