Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is the General Secretary of the All India Muslim Scholars Association, Founder and Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Markaz Saqafathu Sunniyya, one of the leading educational and humanitarian institutions in India. He is often referred to by his epithet Abul Aytam (βFather of Orphansβ) for his service to orphans and the destitute. He advocates peaceful co-existence, social harmony and its international propagation and has set up thousands of cultural centres and educational institutes in India. Sheikh Abubakr has authored and published more than 60 books on a variety of topics in Arabic, Urdu and Malayalam. In July 2023 he was awarded the Hijra Award in Malaysia.