Lebanon’s Grand Jaafari Mufti
Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan
.The distinguished Grand Jaafari Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, was born on August 13, 1972 in the town of Mais al-Jabal (southern Lebanon), one of the villages in Jabal Amil known for its religious seminaries and the brilliance of its scholars. He was raised in a household renowned for its knowledge, virtue, and good reputation among the public.
He studied two of the three stages of Islamic seminary studies—namely, the stage of Muqadamat and part of the stage of Sutuh—under the guidance of his father, His Eminence Imam Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council.
In addition to his religious studies, he pursued his academic education in Beirut's schools and later at the Lebanese University in Beirut, where he earned a law degree from the Faculty of Law. However, his passion for religious studies led him to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1992 to continue his Islamic seminary studies and to complete his final two stages, namely the intermediate stage of Sutuh and the advanced stage of Al-Dars Al-Kharij.
He returned to Lebanon in 2003 and assumed the position of Grand Jaafari Mufti, succeeding his father, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan.
He founded the Islamic Studies Center for the Jurisprudence of Ahl al-Bayt in Beirut and became its director. The center has published several works and encyclopedias focusing on Shiite Fiqh (Jurisprudence) and the biographies of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. Additionally, he oversees the seminary at the center and contributes to teaching its seminary courses. He also supervises the seminary in his hometown of Mais al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.
Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan has authored several publications available in Lebanese and Arab markets, as well as articles and research papers in Lebanese and Arab newspapers. In addition, he has participated in numerous international conferences promoting interfaith and inter-sectarian dialogue, held in Egypt, Iran, the Vatican, and other countries.
