In the name of Allah the Most Compassionate,

In the name of Allah the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Religious and Academic activities of His Eminence,

Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Amin Kuftaro

The Grand Mufti of Syria, Head of the Supreme Council of Fatwa, was born in Damascus in 1915 son of Muhammad Amin Kuftaro (1875-1938), a great Muslim scholar of his day.

Education: He studied privately with the most renowned Jurists and Islamic scholars in Damascus.

Diplomas: He holds several Honorary Doctorates in the teaching and principles of Islam, granted to His Eminence by several Universities throughout the Islamic world.

Award: Sitaret Pakistan Medal, medal of Justice.

Sports: Daily walking and swimming.

In 1938	After the death of his father, His Eminence Ahmad Kuftaro took over his role of preaching and calling for universal spiritual values.
In 1948	He was a teacher of Islam in Dar El-Fatwa in Qunietra.
In 1946	He was one of the founding members of the League of Muslim Scholars.
In 1950	He transferred to Dar El Fatwa In Damascus.
In 1951	He was appointed Mufti of Damascus.
In 1954	He was a member of the Syrian delegation to the Muslim-Christian conference held in Lebanon.
In 1957	He visited Egypt at the invitation of the government to lecture at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
In 1958	He was appointed first Mufti of Damascus and a member of the Supreme Council of Fatwa. He was also the founder of Al-Ansar Society and the Islamic institutes for Call and Guidance in Damascus
In 1959	He visited many European countries, including Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and Italy, where he met many Orientalists and other eminent persons concerned with Islamic studies. He gave lectures at several European Universities and visited Islamic Centers there.
In 1962	He attended the 5^th session of the Islamic World Conference in Baghdad.
In 1964	He delivered a speech at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
In 1964	He was elected Grand Mufti of Syria and Head of the Supreme Council of Fatwa as well as the Supreme Council of Waqf.
In 1965	He was elected as a member of the Central Council of the Afro-Asian Islamic Organization in Bandongh, Indonesia.
In 1966	He received an invitation from the North Lake College Association of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, where between April and June, he delivered more than forty-four lectures about Islam and contemporary issues, including the Palestinian Question.
In 1967	He represented Syria in the meetings of the Central Council of the Afro-Asian Islamic Organization in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In 1968	He was awarded his first honorary Ph.D. in the Science of Islamic Call by the Indonesian University of Jakarta.
In 1969	He accepted an invitation to a meeting with the chairman of the Religious Department of the USSR where he met many Soviet officials. As a result of these contacts many mosques in Central Asia were reopened. He also contributed to the opening of the Supreme Islamic Institute in Tashkent.
In 1970	He headed a delegation to the general meeting of the international Islamic Conference, held in Jakarta, Indonesia
In 1971	He established the Islamic Foundation known as Abu Nour Islamic Foundation. Teaching both male and female, home and foreign students, wherein branches of various colleges were opened:
In 1982	Started a branch of the Islamic Call College, 4 years study
In 1989	Started Al-Ouzai College of Islamic Studies of Lebanon, Masters degree
In 1989	Started a branch of Islamic Studies University of Pakistan, Masters degree
In 1992	Started a branch o Um-Durman College of Sudan. Masters degree.
In 1992	Started a branch of Osul Al-Din College of Abu Nour Islamic Foundation, 4 years study
In 1972 – 1974	He visited Algeria, Iran and India, giving lectures at Islamic conferences there.
In 1976	He visited Saudi Arabia to represent the 1^st Conference for the Mosque’s Message
In 1979	He accepted an invitation from the Cardinal of Austria to visit Austria, where he delivered many lectures at the university of Vienna and various Islamic centers concerning Muslim and Christian cooperation
1980	He accepted an invitation from the Vice President of East Germany where, on April 17^th, he met many officials and held discussions with a delegation representing the Faculty of Theology from Berlin University An official statement was issued later in which both sides confirmed the Oneness of God and that Jesus and Muhammad (peace be on them) were both Messengers of God
In 1981	He delivered a lecture at the Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
In 1982	He presented the Muslim position at the Inter-Religious.” Conference in Moscow, May 10 – 14, where he delivered a speech entitled “The principles of Peace in the World's Major Religions." The speech was designed to increase the awareness and responsibility of the men of Religion in spreading peace and thus preventing the onset of events that could lead to a Nuclear Holocaust.
In 1983	He represented the Syrian Scholars at the International Conference for Peace, held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
In 1984	He headed a delegation at the “Round Table Conference for Peace” in Moscow, In April.
In 1985	He accepted an invitation from the vice-president of East Germany, August 21-26 . During his visit to E. Germany as a result of this invitation the Mufti met with the Minister of Religious Affairs and many other dignitaries from universities throughout the country.
In 1985	He accepted an invitation to Italy in December, to lecture at a number of its universities. In Milan he lectured on “Islam and Religious Tolerance”, and in the Vatican on the “International Prospects of Islam and Christianity”. He also visited His Holiness the Pope at the Vatican and met some of the officials there.
In 1986	He represented the Syrian Scholars at the International Conference for Peace, held in Prague, Czechoslovakia, February 1-3
In 1986	He participated in the “Islamic Conference” at Pako, the Soviet Union October 1-3 delivering a lecture entitled “peace in Islam”
In 1987	He visited Poland and E. Germany and lectured in various science academies on “Islam and Peace” and “Islam and modern Problems”.
In 1987	He lectured on the “Co-existence in the Mediterranean” in Malta.
In 1987	He visited the Vatican and held a second summit meeting with his Holiness the Pope
In 1988	He visited Bulgaria, where he participated in the celebration of the reopening of the “Sofa Mosque” and the establishment of the new “Imam Institute”. In addition he delivered a speech at the Academy of Sciences entitle. “Islam and World Peace”.
In 1988	He received an invitation to act as a Co-chairman for the religious position at the "Global Forum on Environment and Development for Human Survival "at Oxford University, U.K. Unfortunately he was unable to attend.
In 1989	He accepted an invitation to Turkey, May 17-21, and the Soviet Union, where he delivered lectures at various Conferences, Universities, and Islamic Centers.
In 1989	On may 30^th he began a two-week visit to Washington D.C. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Texas, at the invitation of the American State Department to visit, lecture and meet many religious centers and leaders in the U.S.A.
In 1990	He was elected Chairman for the religious discussion in the "Global Forum on the Environment and Development for Human Survival" held in Moscow, January 15-19, and gave a speech at the Kremlin entitled "The Responsibility of man Towards Himself".
In 1990	He accepted an invitation to lecture at a religious conference held in San Francisco, August 15-21, where he delivered a series of lectures entitled :Spirituality in the 21^st Century" and "The Quran Extends its Helpful Hand to All Mankind"
In 1990	He accepted an invitation to a religious conference in Cairo, October 19-21, to prevent a Muslim-Christian Conflict over UN and Western countries' military action against Iraq because of its invasion of Kuwait. Unfortunately he was unable to attend and the speech was delivered in absentia.
In 1990	He traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to attend a meeting that was to lead two years later to the setting up of the Global Forum Conference in Kyoto in 1993.
In 1991	In , he attended a "Muslim-Christian" conference iIstanbul, heading the Islamic delegation in an Inter-Religious Dialogue, where he lectured on "The Role of the Family in Muslim Society".
In 1991	He visited Japan, Korea and China, where he met the leaders of many Islamic Centers and Organizations. In Japan he delivered a speech to the Oomoto people in Kameoka, on August 21^st . In Korea in Seoul he presided over an inter-religious conference as guest of honor, August 26 September. On the last leg of his tour he stopped in China where he delivered several speeches before an audience of thousands of Muslims.
In 1991	He attended an International Religious Conference held in Sudan, in November, where he met the leaders of many religious traditions and delivered a speech.
In 1992	He was invited by the United Nations to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in June to lead the religious session, and to give a speech before a audience of hundreds of world leaders entitled "The Abrahamic Religions: Common Roots and Shared Responsibilities". Unfortunately, he was unable to attend.
In 1992	He was invited to a religious conference to be held in Greece, in December, to give a lecture entitled "The Conscience in Islam", However, the Mufti was unable to attend due to poor health and the speech was delivered in absentia.
In 1993	He was invited to the 5^th conference of the Islamic Affairs Supreme Council; Cairo, January 19-21, with his lecture entitled "The Best Way Out of the Religious Extremism Crisis".
In 1993	He was named chairman of the religious delegation by The Arab League to the "Peace for Humanity" conference held in Vienna, March 30-April 2, where he gave a lecture entitled "brothers Under the Banner of Faith, The Banner of Jesus and Muhammad".
In 1993	He was elected chairman of the religious caucus at the "Second Global Forum on Changing Values for Human survival" held in Kyoto, Japan. April 17-23, where he delivered a speech entitled "The Eternal Values".
In 1993	He received an invitation from St. Egidio Community to attend a conference in Milan, September 19-22, to give a lecture on "Faith and the Unity of the Human Family". The speech was delivered in absentia.
In 1993	He traveled to Ayabe, Japan. November 3-6, where he delivered the same lecture that he was unable to give in person earlier in the year in Milan, concluding that particular conference by delivering his proposals in the final paper given at the conference.
In 1993	He attended a "Muslim conference" for Bosnia, heading the Syrian Islamic delegation, In Istanbul, Turkey, November 30-December 4.
In 1994	He received a state invitation to visit India where he met the president, the minister of Foreign Affairs and the speaker of the parliament. While there, he headed a Muslim University Professors' meeting, January 14-24.
In 1994	He received a state invitation to visit Sudan, July 10-24, and while there was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence by the Islamic University of Um-Durman.
In 1995	He received an invitation from SID (Swiss Institute for Development) and SAD (Swiss Academy for Development) to head the Syrian delegate to Biel and to lecture between November 26-27. Conference topic was "An End of the Crusades: 900 Years Are Enough".
In 1996	He received Louis Farrakhan, leader of the nation of Islam, USA, and his delegation at Abu Nour. Mr. Farrakhan's speech identified the need for closer relationship between Muslims for the sake of better and fruitful cooperation; Friday, February 16.
In 1996	He received a Canadian delegation of theologians. During the Friday lecture on April 12, a Waterloo University professor of the Bible expounded on the need for a close relationship between the Muslim and Christian worlds and for better understanding and cooperation.
In 1996	He received an invitation from the MECC (Middle East Council of Churches) ; Beirut, June 14-16, to represent Syria at the conference entitled "Calling the Islamic and Christian worlds for the Sake of Jerusalem".
In 1996	He received Dr. Joe Elmore, ex-dean of Earham College, Indiana, USA (and long time friend who had invited him in 1966 to give lectures at the Great lake College Association of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan) Dr. Elmore gave a speech at the Mosque calling for more Muslim-Christian cooperation and for worldwide peace; Friday, November 1^st.
In 1996	He received at his residence an American delegation headed by Reverend Edmond Lee Browning, from the Episcopal Church, New York city, during their visit to Syria Sunday, March 23.
In 1997	He received at abu Nour Mosque a Christian delegation from the MECC, bishops and church leaders headed by Pope Shnuda III of Alexandria and the Patriarch of the Orthodox-Coptic church in Egypt, Patriarch Zakka Ewas I of Antioch, All-East for the Syriac-Orthodox Church and others form various Churches on May 2^nd where Pope Shnuda gave a speech to the thousands of Muslim men and women gathered there before Friday prayers.
Till now	He still lectures regularly at various places especially at Abu Nour Mosque, Damascus, where thousands of male and female, Muslims and non-Muslims attend his lectures, with simultaneous translation in various languages.