Grand Mufti of India

The Grand Mufti of India is the most senior and influential religious authority of the Sunni-Sufi Community of India.[4][5][3][6] The incumbent is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama,[7][8] who was conferred the title in February 2019 at the Gareeb Nawaz Peace Conference held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, organised by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam.[7]

Grand Mufti
Other nameOffice of the Grand Mufti
Founder(s)Mughal Empire[1]
Grand MuftiSheikh Abubakr Ahmad
MembersAll India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam and All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama
SubsidiariesOffice of Mufti
Location
Daryaganj
,
New Delhi
,
Delhi
,
India
Coordinates28.6468054°N 77.2448409°E / 28.6468054; 77.2448409
WebsiteGrand Mufti of India
Grand Mufti of India
Incumbent
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad
since 24 February 2019
Office of the Grand Mufti of India
StyleMr. Grand Mufti
(informal)
, Mufti Azam-e-Hind
StatusGrand Mufti of India
Member ofSunni-Sufi Community of India[2][3]
ResidenceKozhikode
SeatNew Delhi
Term lengthNo fixed term
Inaugural holderʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni
FormationMughal Empire
Unofficial namesMusliyar
Part of a series on
Islam in India

Role

The Grand Mufti is the most senior religious authority in the country.[9] His main role is to give opinions (fatawa) on Islamic legal matters and social affairs.[4][2] The Grand Mufti is traditionally chosen from the Barelvi school of Sunni Islam.[10]

History

Mughal period

The first Grand Mufti of India, Shah Fazle Rasool Badayuni was appointed by the final Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. Badayuni was a Hanafi scholar[11] who had deep knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence. His Urdu statements on Islamic subjects were published as Tariqi Fatwa, which later became famous. His grandson `Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni followed him as the Grand Mufti.[12][13]

British period

In the British ruling period, Islamic scholars noted Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi who was the spiritual leader of Indian Muslims, scholar and revivalist.[14][15][16] Thousands of students and scholars were attracted to his works and requested him to become Grand Mufti, but he declined. He wanted to be engaged with educational revival and writing. Instead, his student Amjad Ali Aazmi was elected.[17] His book on Hanafi fiqh, Bahar-e-Shariat became a reference on this subject. Along with him, Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri s/o. Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi was the Grand Mufti during Indira Gandhi's administration. He protested the Family Planning Program enacted by the government.

Grand Muftiship of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad
Main article: Grand Muftiship of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad

Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musliyar was sworn in as the Grand Mufti of India on 24 February 2019 at the Ramlila Maidan. He became the first Grand Mufti from south India.[3]

List of Grand Muftis of India
No. Name (birth–death) Madhhab Place Other works & activities Notes
16th century - 17th century
1

ملا عبد القادر بدایونی (Arabic & Urdu)

 Hanafi Badaun Author of Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Arabic) The Mughal emperor, Akbar, appointed him to the muftiat in 1574 where he spent much of his career.
17th century
18th century
19th century
5
  • Shah Fazle Rasool Badayuni  (1 July 1798 - 8 August 1872)

شاہ فضلِ رسول قادری بدایونی (Urdu, his native language),
شاه فضل رسول قدري بدایونی (Arabic)

 Hanafi Badaun Author of Tarikhi-Fatwa (Urdu) Badayuni was appointed by the final Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.
20th century
6

مفتی اعظم محمد کفایت اللہ دہلوی (Urdu, his native language),
مفتی کفایت اللہ الدہلوی(Arabic)[18][19][20]

 Hanafi Shahjahanpur Author of Kifayatul Mufti [21]
7

صدر الشريعہ مفتى محمد امجد على اعظمى (Urdu, his native language),
مفتى أمجد على أعظمى (Arabic)

 Hanafi Bareilly Author of Bahar-e-Shariat (Urdu)
8

مصطفٰی رضا خان قادری نوری (Urdu, his native language),
مصطفى رضا خان القادري النوري (Arabic)

 Hanafi Bareilly Author of Fatawa Mustawafiyah (Arabic)
20th century - 21st century
9

تاج الشریعہ اختر رضا خان (Urdu, his native language),
مفتي اختر رضا خان (Arabic)

 Hanafi Bareilly Founder of Jamiatur Raza and Author of Azhar Ul Fatawa (Arabic)
21st century
10
  • Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (22 March 1931 - )

കാന്തപുരം എ.പി. അബൂബക്കർ മുസ്‌ലിയാർ (Malayalam, his native language),
سلطان العلماء، قمر العلماء، أبو الأيتام الشيخ أبوبكر أحمد الباقوى المليباري (Arabic)

 Shafi‘i believer. He issues the fatwas as per four Sunni Schools. Ramlila Maidan[22] President of Islamic Community of India and Chancellor of the Jamia Markaz
gollark: ARing!
gollark: Well, not four, two.
gollark: Turns out I have *four* free slots now.
gollark: ARing is nigh.
gollark: Triple broccoli or bust.

See also

References
  1. Bowering, Gerhard; Crone, Patricia; Kadi, Wadad; Stewart, Devin J.; Zaman, Muhammad Qasim; Mirza, Mahan (28 November 2012). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-3855-4.
  2. "Kanthapuram Grand Mufti of Sunnis in India". The Hindu. 27 February 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020. Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar has been made Grand Mufti, the top authority to give non-binding advice and opinion on Islamic jurisprudence and religious practices of the Sunni sects in India.
  3. "Kanthapuram elected as new Grand Mufti". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019. Kanthapurm will be the supreme leader of Muslim community who believe in various madhab of Sunni and Sufi sects.
  4. Pickles, Katie (12 February 2020). "A mufti day is enormous fun. But time to give it a new name". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is the Indian Islamic community’s current most senior religious authority. Mufti interpret Islamic law and then issue fatwa (legal opinion).
  5. Kumar, Ashwani. "Education is key to peace, says India's Grand Mufti". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020. Sheikh Aboobacker took charge as the Grand Mufti this February and holds the supreme authority to give fatwas in relation to Islamic religious matters in India.
  6. "'Women need not participate in CAA protests like men,' Aboobacker Musliyar stokes row". www.thenewsminute.com. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  7. "Kanthapuram selected Grand Mufti of India". The Times of India. The Times Group. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  8. "تعيين الشيخ أبوبكر أحمد مفتيا للهند" [Sheikh Abu Bakr Ahmed Elected as Grand Mufti of India]. العين الإخبارية (in Arabic). ISSN 2521-439X. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. "Muslim Women Shouldn't Raise Slogans Against CAA, Says Grand Mufti. Moral Policing Never Stops!". The Times of India. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020. 88-year-old Kanthapuram was last year appointed as India’s Grand Mufti, the senior-most Islamic cleric in a country.
  10. Mulla, Malikarehana A. "6" (PDF). Sects and sub sects among the Muslims of Karnataka with special reference to North Karnataka a study. p. 221. Retrieved 27 February 2020. In India, the Grand Mufti is traditionally from the Barelvi school of Sunni Islam presently Mihammad Akhtar Raza Khan is the Grand Mufti of India.
  11. "History of Fazle Rasool Badayuni". ziaetaiba.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  12. "Chapter 12 – Akbar's Religious Views, as Described by Badauni". ibiblio.org. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  13. Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh.Vol.1. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  14. Cesari, Jocelyne (14 April 2014). The Awakening of Muslim Democracy: Religion, Modernity, and the State. Cambridge University Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-107-51329-7. First, Sayyid Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) created a populist Islamic revivalist movement in the late 1800s.
  15. Esposito, John L. (1 October 2018). Religion and Violence. MDPI. p. 5. ISBN 978-3-03842-143-6. Sayyid Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) created a populist Islamic revivalist movement in late 1800s.
  16. M Hassan, Imam; Hussain, Ibrar. "Comparitive Study of "Kanzul Iman" among other Famous Translation" (PDF). International Journal of Fundamental and Applied Research. ISSN 2320-7973. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2020. He revived love and affection of the last prophet and his teachings. Seeing his works for the revival of Islam, he deserves to be called a revivalist of 20th Century.
  17. "History of Amjad Ali Azami". ziaetaiba.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. Mufti Azam Hind, Maulana Kifayatyullah Shahjahanpuri Thumma Dehlawi (2005 ed.). Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library.
  19. Maulana Habibur Rahman Ludhyanvi Aur Unki Tahrik Ahar E Islam Ek Tarikhi wa Tahqeeqi Jaiza Mohd. Irfan, Aligarh Muslim University
  20. A Biography Of Mufti Kifaayatullaah Dehlavi. p. 20. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  21. "Kifayatrul Mufti". archive. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  22. Special Correspondent (2019).

Further reading
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