Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (Born as ''A. P. Aboobacker'' at ''Kanthapuram'' on 22 March 1931)
is the
Grand Mufti of India
The Grand Mufti of India is the most senior and influential religious authority of the Barelvi Muslim Community of India. The incumbent is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, who was conferred the ti ...
and also the Social Worker.
He is also the Chancellor of the
Jamia Markaz, Chairman of the
Siraj Daily
Siraj (Malayalam: സിറാജ് ദിനപത്രം, Arabic: جريدة السراج اليومية), a daily newspaper in Malayalam language, RNI , Reg. No.KERMAL/2013/53722 , Name: SIRAJ , Publication City:KOCHI , Link: http://r ...
and General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, (the Indian Muslim Scholars Association).
Grand Mufti of India
Musliyar was chosen as the
Grand Mufti of India
The Grand Mufti of India is the most senior and influential religious authority of the Barelvi Muslim Community of India. The incumbent is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, who was conferred the ti ...
by the
All India Tanzeem Ulamae Islam in a programme conducted at
Ramlila Maidan
Ramlila Maidan also Ramlila Ground is a large ground located in New Delhi, India, traditionally used for staging the annual Ramlila. It is used for religious festivals, major political rallies and meetings, and entertainment events. It is locate ...
after the death of Grand Mufti
Akhtar Raza Khan
Muhammad Akhtar Raza Khan Azhari (23 November 1943 – 20 July 2018), also known as Tajush Shari'ah or Azhari Miya, was an Indian Barelvi Muslim scholar, cleric and mufti. He was the great grandson of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi who was considered ...
, following an illness on 20 July 2018.
After his election conducted several receptions in various countries including
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
,
Oman
Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
especially at his birthplace in India,
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
. 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.
In the function, Minister T. P. Ramakrishnan expressed appreciations to the Grand Mufti for the
Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. You have got a golden visa for 10 years from the Dubai government, you are the first Muslim in India to get this honor.
Peace and interfaith dialogue work
Musliyar has conducted and attended many national and international conferences for peace and interfaith dialogue.
He is the Chairman of the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference and was one of the speakers at the First World Tolerance Summit, conducted by the International Institute for Tolerance Dubai, UAE.
The tagline of the second Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference was "Renaissance of the World Through Peace". In 2019 he attended
Global Conference of Human Fraternity and met with
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
,
head of the Catholic Church.
In 2014 he launched a campaign to plant 100,000 trees throughout India as part of preparations for the Sheikh Zayed International Peace Conference, held in New Delhi.
Educational revivalist
Musliyar educated several scholars from different parts of India.
He is involved with Markaz Knowledge City, Unani Medical College, and with higher education and research.
He said in an interview with
Khaleej Times
''Khaleej Times'' is a daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched on 16 April 1978, ''Khaleej Times'' is the UAE's longest-running English daily newspaper.
History and profile
A partnership between the U ...
that the "Education is key to peace".
Views
Musliyar has condemned
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...
. He says that "Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) are trying to defame a religion that advocates peace and tolerance."
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."
He said, “only woman can give birth.” But some media misquoted him as saying women are capable only of childbirth.
Fatwa against ISIS
Musliyar was the first to issue a
fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
against ISIS. Musliyar issued his ''Fatwa on ISIS'' on 27 August 2014 CE. This is the first
fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
—a nonbinding legal opinion in
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
—issued against
ISIS
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
according to Ashwani Kumar writing in ''
Khaleej Times
''Khaleej Times'' is a daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched on 16 April 1978, ''Khaleej Times'' is the UAE's longest-running English daily newspaper.
History and profile
A partnership between the U ...
''. The document, a copy of which is held in the
United Arab Emirates National Archives, was a commission to all
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Jamiyyathul
Ulama
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 religious ...
to raise awareness against terrorism. At the time of the fatwa, Abubakr did not hold the title of
Grand Mufti
The Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is the head of regional muftis, Islamic jurisconsults, of a state. The office originated in the early modern era in the Ottoman empire and has been later adopted in a num ...
since his election to the office came on 24 February 2019. He has also issued fatwas a second time against ISIS and against other
terrorist groups.
On CAB and CAA
Musliyar opposed the
Citizenship Amendment Bill and
Citizenship Amendment Act
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Indian nationality law, Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing a pathway to Indian citizenship for Religious persecution, persecuted rel ...
,
and he organised and attended in many protests against the act.
He did not support the
hartal
Hartal () is a term in many Indian languages for a strike action that was first used during the Indian independence movement (also known as the nationalist movement) of the early 20th century. A hartal is a mass protest, often involving a total sh ...
was organised by
SDPI and said the hartal is needless.
He visited the family members of protesters killed in police firing at
Mangalore
Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...
to express his condolences.
On Babri Masjid Verdict
Musliyar appealed to the ''Islamic Community of India'' to welcome the
Supreme Court verdict in the Babri Masjid dispute case before the verdict
and accepted after. He said "We respect the Supreme Court. Everyone must strive for peace in India.
The victory or defeat over the Babri Masjid incident may be significant to every party, but the protection of India and its sovereignty is much more important."
"Babri Masjid is a place of worship for Muslims,
but equally important is that all people live peacefully in India."
Organisations
In the late 1980 Musliyar was a leader of the Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema together with
E. K. Aboobacker Musliyar
E. K. Aboobacker Musliyar, known by followers as Shams-ul-Ulama, "the Sun of the Scholars", was a Shafi‘i school, Shafi'i scholar and community leader from Kerala, south India. He served as the General Secretary of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyya ...
but due to personality differences chose to split off a group which came to be known as the ''AP Faction''; the residual group becoming referred to as the ''EK Faction''.
Both factions, which are pre-dominately based in Kerela, have set up a set of broadly parallel organisations at both All India and state level, with Musliyar dominant in those of the AP Faction.
In January 2018 committees were formed to re-unite the factions with the objective of re-uniting the groups to achieve an improved political influence,. there has been no merger.
At the time of his assumption of the title of Grand Mufti of India in February 2019 he was variously described as general secretary of the All-India Muslim Scholars Association for over 25 years,
and as general secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama.
Honours, awards and international recognition
* Islamic Heritage Award for his service in the protection of Islamic culture and heritage from the Institute of Islamic Heritage, based in the
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. The award was given by the then
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs,
Vayalar Ravi
Vayalar Ravi (born 4 June 1937
) is an Indian politician, who served as the in January 2008.
* Jewels of World Muslim Biz Award by OIC Today in 2016 from then Malaysian Finance Minister,
Johari Abdul Ghani
Johari may refer to:
* ''Johari'' (film), a 2006 Tanzanian film
* Johari dialect, a dialect of the Kumaoni language of India
* Johari window, in interpersonal communication and relationships
People with the name
*Azizi Johari (born 1948), Americ ...
.
* Ras Al Khaimah Islamic Academy Award for the best Social Worker in 1992.
* Indian Islamic Centre Award for outstanding services in the field of Education and Social Services.
* Hamil Al Gaith International Holy Quran Award in 2005.
* Best Indo-Arab Personality Award in 2006.
* He has consecutively been ranked for many years as an influential
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
by
The 500 Most Influential Muslims
''The 500 Most Influential Muslims'' (also known as ''The Muslim 500'') is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.
The publication is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies C ...
published by the
Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre is a research centre affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.
Its publications include:
*''A Common Word Between Us and You''
*'' The Amman Message''
*''Forty Hadith on Divine ...
of
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.
See also
*
Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki
Al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Hasan bin ‘Alawi bin ‘Abbas bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (1944–2004), also knowing as Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki, was one of the foremost traditional Sunni Islamic scholar of contemporary times from Saudi Arabia. He was re ...
*
Sayyid Abdurrahman Al Bukhari
*
Habib Ali al-Jifri
Habib Ali Zain al-Abidin al-Jifri ( ar, الحبيب علي زين العابدين الجفري; born 16 April 1971) is a Yemeni-born Sunni and Sufi Islamic scholar and spiritual educator located in the United Arab Emirates. He is the founder o ...
*
Nuh Ha Mim Keller
Nuh Ha Mim Keller (born 1954) is an American Islamic scholar, teacher and author who lives in Amman. He is a translator of a number of Islamic books.
Life and scholarship
Keller studied philosophy and Arabic language, Arabic at the University ...
*
Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri
Sayyid ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muṣṭafā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Zayn al-ʿAbidīn al-Shāghūrī al-Ḥusaynī ( ar, أبو منير عبد الرحمن بن عبد الرحمن بن مصطفى بن عبد الرحمن ...
*
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
*
Muhammad Metwali Al-Sha'raawi
*
Muslim Jamaat
Muslim Jamaath is a Kerala based Islamic organization In India, under the supervision of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama. This body acts as an apex body of various other organization and institutions which were following the ideologies of s ...
The apex body of all Muslim organisations in India
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
Works
Works by Musliyar include:
*
*
Further reading
* An Interview with Sheikh Abubakr by Ashwani Kumar of
Khaleej Times
''Khaleej Times'' is a daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched on 16 April 1978, ''Khaleej Times'' is the UAE's longest-running English daily newspaper.
History and profile
A partnership between the U ...
:
He has consecutively been ranked for many years as an influential
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
by the prestigious Directory,
The 500 Most Influential Muslims
''The 500 Most Influential Muslims'' (also known as ''The Muslim 500'') is an annual publication first published in 2009, which ranks the most influential Muslims in the world.
The publication is compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies C ...
published by the
Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre is a research centre affiliated with the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.
Its publications include:
*''A Common Word Between Us and You''
*'' The Amman Message''
*''Forty Hadith on Divine ...
of
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.
* 2009 Edition:
* 2010 Edition:
* 2011 Edition:
* 2012 Edition:
* 2013/14 Edition:
* 2014/15 Edition:
* 2016 Edition:
* 2017 Edition:
* 2018 Edition:
* 2019 Edition:
* 2020 Edition:
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abubakr, Sheikh
Grand Muftis of India
People in interfaith dialogue
Indian imams
Indian Sufis
Indian spiritual teachers
Islamic religious leaders
People from Kozhikode district
Living people
Indian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
1931 births
Islam in Kerala
Markaz
Islam in India
Leaders of Undivided Samastha
Leaders of Samastha (AP Faction)
Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar