Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim

Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim

President of the section
Ghana

Sheikh Mustapha Ibrahim is a widely sought after Islamic Scholar and prolific Author of pedigree with about 20 books (with more yet to be published) to his credit. He is among the very few African Islamic  scholars who have had the benefits of both old traditional or classical Islamic training (the madrasa study circle) and the modern secular or western model. Under the feet of the revered scholar,  preacher, and author — the late Sheikh Ahmad Babalwaiz, (founder of  Madrasatul Wataniyyah Al-Islamiyyah – Wataniyyah Islamic School),   he spent  nearly a decade taking several modules in advanced Classical Arabic and Sharia Sciences – and then proceeded to the University of  Ghana where he graduated in the Study of Religions. While at the University of Ghana, Sheikh Mustapha horned his skills in research and  book translation. After teaching Islamic Studies and Economics for a few years at high school, he started work as author and translator and  formed the Islamic Books Distribution & Translation Council in 1982–  through which he translated or collaborated in translating several Islamic books, including the Holy Qur’an, from Arabic to English and a number of languages such as French, Hausa, Twi, Dagbani among others. He is among the top Ghanaian scholars with remarkable expertise in “Ilmul Faraa-ed”. His seminal work – “Islamic Law of Inheritance” is always  in high demand. Having achieved his objective of imparting knowledge in Ghana and beyond, Sheikh then founded the Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICODEHS) in 1996 to help reduce the high level of poverty in the society and empower the less  privileged.  In collaboration with several partner NGOs in the Arab and Muslim world, ICODEHS’s Humanitarian footprints have spread all over Ghana into about 10 countries in West Africa. Sheikh Mustapha is also a successful business executive.  He is a member of the advisory board at the office of the Grand Mufti and Chief Imam of the Republic of Ghana and often tags along him at several international conferences. Sheikh also serves on the Management Committee of the School of Languages of the University of Ghana (Legon) and runs and sponsors a weekly radio talk show programme on Marhaba FM called “Tanmiyatul Ummah – “Development of Society” where he educates Muslims and non-Muslims about pertinent issues and general principles in Islam through questions and answers. Sheikh has received several national and international awards from Ghana and across the Arab world.

Employment History

  • Founder and Executive Chairman, Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICODEHS). From1996-present
  • Founder and Executive Chairman, Islamic Book Development and Translation Council. From 1982- Present
  • Arabic and Islamic Studies Teacher, T.I Ahmadiyya Secondary School –1977-79
  • Islamic Studies & Economics Teacher, Damango Secondary School—1976-77

Leadership Roles

  • President (Ghana Branch) and member of the Higher Council – King Muhammad VI (Of Morocco’s) Foundation for African (Oulema) Islamic Scholars – 2015-Present
  • Chairman of the Executive Council (Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu Educational Trust Fund (SONSETFund) of the National Chief Imam – 2011
  • Member of Management Committee, School of Modern Languages, University of Ghana (Legon) –from August 2019—June 2021.
  • Member, Advisory Council of the National Chief Imam of Ghana (Present)
  • Member, Advisory Committee of the Islamic Programs, GBC (Present)
  • Member, Ghana Council of Muslim Elders (Present)

Published Works

  • Islamic Law of Marriage, Ibrahim Mustapha, 1986, Riyad University Press, Saudi Arabia
  • Guidance to prayers (1), Ibrahim Mustapha,1986, Riyad University Press, Saudi Arabia.
  • Islamic Law of Inheritance, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2001
  • ICODEHS, Accra.
  • Worshipers Guide (2), Ibrahim Mustapha, 2006, ICODEHS, Accra.
  • The Concept of Endowment, Gifts, and Wills in Islam, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2011, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Hundred Questions & Answers on Zakat, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2014, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Hundred Questions & Answers on Salat, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2014, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Hundred Questions & Answers on the Greatest Creature on Earth, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2015, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Towards Understanding of Islamic Faith (Revised Volumes1-4), Ibrahim Mustapha, 2011, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Tafseer of Suratul Balad, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2008, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Funerals in Islam, Ibrahim Mustapha, 2016, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Personalities and Historical Places Mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, Ibrahim Mustapha, 1987, ICODEHS, Accra
  • Translated or collaborated in translating several Islamic books (including the Holy Qur’an) from Arabic to English and a number of languages such as French, Hausa, Twi, Dagbani among others.

Educational Background

  • Graduated from the Department of the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon, 1976.
  • Took several modules in traditional classical Arabic and Sharia Sciences in Kumasi (Ghana) in the 1960s at the feet of the late Sheikh Ahmad Babalwaiz, a scholar, teacher and prolific writer who founded Wataniyyah Islamic School.

Physical Projects Executed:

  • Guided the operations of the Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services (ICODEHS) which has so far built about four hundred schools and over a thousand mosques in various communities throughout the country. Seven clinics, seven orphanages, four vocational centers, seven houses for the needy, with a number of schools and mosques renovated. ICODEHS has also constructed over three thousand two hundred wells and three Senior High Schools namely: Suhum Girls Secondary School in the Eastern Region, ICODEHS Senior High School at Malshegu in the Northern Region, as well as ICODEHS Senior High School at Adenta in the Greater Accra Region.
  • Directed similar projects in other West African (branches) such as: Nigeria, Sierra Leon, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Conakry and Cote d’Ivoire.

National Awards Received

  • Champion of the Order of the Volta, from the former President J.A. Kuffour, 2008.
  • Grand Medal Award from the Late President John Atta Mills, 2010.
  • National Chief Imam of Ghana Award

 International Awards Received

  • Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) Award
  • Kuwait Zakat House Award
  • Dubai Charitable Association Award
  • Dubai Islamic Affairs Ministry Award
  • Abu Dhabi Red Crescent Award
  • United Arab Emirates – Ministry of Awqaf