Draft:Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar

Abdullah Alkhayl Basfar (born 1961), popularly known as Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar or Abdullah Basfer, is a Saudi Arabian imam and Qur'an reciter. During Ramadan, he was hailed as Jeddah’s first imam.

Early life
He was born in Jeddah, during the Islamic month of Dhou al qi’Dah.

Abdullah Basfer gained a deep interest in the Qur'an at a young age, and he learned the holy book while still a child. He pursued a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies at King Aziz University in Jeddah beginning in 1406. In 1407, the famous Mouqri’ Ayman Rouchdi Sawite recognized his efforts with a reward.

Thereafter, he attended the University of Cahia located in Saudi Arabia, where he got his Master's degree. After seven years, he pursued his PhD in Islamic Studies, in the fikh branch, at the University of Sharia’. Shortly after graduation, he launched his career as one of Saudi Arabia’s imams. In a couple of years, he also became an Imam and khatib in Jedda, at the Shuaibi mosque. He also began reciting the Holy Qur'an during Ramadan and due to his soft, compelling voice, his recitations gained attention from the media and got aired on radio stations and satellite TV channels.

Fueled by the recognition, Imam Abdullah Ibn Basfar decided to go a step further in his associative journey by attending the University of King Abdel Aziz where he joined the scholar association. The life of Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar went from one success to the other, and in this breath, he then got the position of the general secretary at the International League of Quran Studies and Learning, a body that focuses on the learning and mastery of the Holy Quran (Tahfid El Quran). He also became the president of the International Instance for Holy Qur'an Memorization.

He largely involved himself in the organization of conferences and contests that attracted numerous people to the Islamic faith and helped eradicate poverty. A notable contest he was part of was the Holy Qur'an Competition in Zanzibar where he partnered with the Muslim World League. In the competition, a total of 98 students participated in the contest and were later honored in a ceremony that the Former Minister of Health, Mr. Juma Doon Haj, attended. He has also authored a few Islamic booklets that discuss various essential aspects of the Islamic faith such as meditations and contemplations about Surat Al baqarah and Al Fatihah, lectures on global terrorism, the management of the Holy Quran, speeches on Ramadan, Andalousy, and the biography of Al Siddik, soul purification, and the deep interpretation of Surat Yusuf.

He also offered his comments in the media on the same topics he has written about. For instance, he condemned groups that use the idea of Jihad to promote terrorism and urged Islamic leaders to be wary of their message to their audience and ensure they promote peace and unity. He also advised parents to ensure they know who their children interacted with and from whom they learned. The famous Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar has instructed and encouraged hundreds of thousands of youthful Islamic enthusiasts, (both Arabs and non Arabs) in the way of Islam through the different organizations he led, including the International Qur'an Memorization Organization (IQMO). He follows in the footsteps of reputable Islamic leaders such as Sheikh Haytham Asta and Sheikh Sahl Yassin.

2020 arrest
In August 2020, Basfer was arrested. At the time, he was serving as an associate professor in the Sharia and Islamic Studies Department at the King AbdulAziz University in Jeddah. His arrest was allegedly linked to a video of him leading people in prayer in the courtyard of Turkey's Hagia Sophia in 2014, a period where the Saudi government was not on good terms with the Turkish government.

Abdullah Ibn Ali Basfar was detained for over two years and later sentenced to 12 years in prison. His arrest and sentence caused a huge uproar on social media and in organizations that fight for the rights of religious leaders and justice as a whole. Many of these organizations have fought for the release of Basfar, but as of 2024 he remains in prison serving his sentence.