Ahmed Kuftaro | |
|---|---|
أحمد كفتارو | |
 | |
| Grand Mufti of Syria | |
| In office 4 November 1964 – 1 September 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Muhammad Abu al-Yusr |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1912 or 1915 |
| Died | 1 September 2004 Damascus, Syria |
| Nationality | Syrian |
| Spouse | Hawa Mili Sabah al-Jabri |
| Parent | Mohammed Amin Kuftaro |
| Relations | Asma Mahmoud Kuftaro (granddaughter) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni Islam |
| School | Shafi'i |
| Tariqa | Naqshbandi[1] |
| Creed | Ash'ari |
Ahmed Muhammad Amin Kuftaro[2] (Arabic: أحمد كفتارو; December 1915 – 1 September 2004) was theGrand Mufti of Syria, the highest officially appointedSunniMuslim representative of the Fatwa-Administration in the Syrian Ministry of Auqaf inSyria. Kaftaro was a Sunni Muslim of theNaqshbandiSufi order.[3]
The family of Kuftaro isKurdish who have their origins in the village ofKarma inÖmerli District ofMardin Province, Turkey.[4][5][6] In 1878, the Kuftaro family moved toDamascus and settled near the Abu al-Nur mosque in the Kurdish quarter. Kuftaro's father, Amin Kuftaro, received a traditional education and started working at the Sa'id Pasha mosque. His first wife was Najiya Sinjabi and he had four sons and two daughters with her: Musa, Taufiq, Ahmad, Ibrahim, Zaynab and Fatima. With his second wife, Is'af Badir, he had three children, Rabi', 'Abd al-Qadir and Rabi'a.[7]
Kuftaro's father insisted that he first receive a classical education inQuran,Tafsir,Hadith andIslamic jurisprudence, namelyShafi'iMadhhab with Muslim scholars in Damascus.[8]
In 1948, Kuftaro worked as a mosque teacher inQuneitra before moving to Damascus in 1950.[citation needed] Two years later, he becameMufti of the Shafi'i Madhhab in Damascus and a member of the Higher Ifta Council under ColonelAdib al-Shishakli.[9] Kuftaro's political instinct aligned him with the SyrianBa'ath Party in 1955. He reportedly supported the Baath Party candidate in the 1955 election for an open seat in parliament.[citation needed]
Ahmad Kuftaro advocated interreligious dialogue. He visited many countries as a representative of Syrian state Islam, including a 1985 visit with the Pope in Rome.[citation needed] He signed theAmman Message, a statement calling for tolerance and unity in theMuslim world that was issued on 9 November 2004 (27Ramadan 1425AH) byKing Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ofJordan.[10]
| Sufi orders |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practices | |||||||||
| Ideas | |||||||||
| Sufi literature | |||||||||
| Notable Sufis |
| ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
