KOZHIKODE: Sayed Ali Bafaqi Thangal, 88, senior religious scholar and vice-president of the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (AP), died at a private hospital in Kozhikode on Monday.
Thangal, who breathed his last at 5.20 pm, was also president of the Markaz institutions and was associated with the Samastha and affiliated organisations for five decades. A prominent figure in Sunni religious and educational spheres, he held several key positions, including state president of the Sunni Education Board and the Sunni Jamiyyathul Muallimeen.
Born in 1938 into the Bafaqi Sayyid family, he was the son of Sayed Ahmad Bafaqi and Sharifa Nafisa Beevi. He served as the Qazi of many mahalls and was khatib of the Koyilandy Valiyakam Juma Masjid for nearly 60 years. He also headed the Koyilandy Khalfan institutions, contributing to the religious and educational activities in the region.
His wife, Sharifa Ummukulsu, predeceased him. He is survived by nine children — Sayyid Ibraheem Bafaqi, Sayyid Hussain Bafaqi, Sayyid Usman Bafaqi, Sayyid Ismail Bafaqi, Sayyid Zaid Umar Bafaqi, Sayyid Zain Bafaqi, Sayyid Abdurahman Bafaqi, Sayyidath Sharifa Ruqayya and Sayyid Hashim Bafaqi.