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Malaysia honours India’s Grand Mufti with prestigious Hijra Award

Sheikh Abubakr is a 92-year-old religious leader, educationist, social worker and philanthropist who hails from Kerala

Published: Mon 24 Jul 2023, 9:14 AM

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Malaysia has honoured Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, India’s Grand Mufti and the chairman of the Sheikh Zayed Peace Forum, with the prestigious Hijra Award, which is conferred on influential Muslim scholars.

His Majesty King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Malaysia presented the International Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah Award 2023 to Sheikh Abubakr at a grand function held in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Muhammad Na’im bin Mokhtar, members of the royal family, top leaders, prominent scholars, students from various universities, and representatives from civic organisations, were present on the occasion.

Since 2008, the Malaysian government has been conferring the Hijra Award to remarkable personalities who have been contributing significantly to world peace and harmony.

Sheikh Abubakr is a 92-year-old religious leader, educationist, social worker and philanthropist who hails from Kerala. He is the general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, and the chancellor of Jamia Markaz, an Islamic university in Kozhikode district of Kerala. Markaz operates a religious and cultural centre in Dubai, under the supervision of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department.

Popularly known as Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, Sheikh Abubakr is also the recipient of UAE’s Golden Visa for his humanitarian works. He has been a prominent face on platforms promoting peace and interfaith dialogue. As the chairman of the Sheikh Zayed Peace Forum, he has been conducting events and campaigns.

Sheikh Abubakr is the first Indian to win the coveted Hijra award. It was conferred to him in recognition of his contributions to promoting the message of love and peace, and his tireless efforts in fostering harmony among different communities. He expressed his delight at receiving the award and noted that the recognition inspires him to expand his work into other fields.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support and prayers of my fellow Indians,” said Sheikh Abubakr.

During his visit to Malaysia, Sheikh Abubakr held a meeting with Prime Minister Ibrahim and also participated in the Sahihul Bukhari Scholars Conference.

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