Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (Jawi: ذوالكفل محمد البكري; born 16 January 1969) is a MalaysianIslamic scholar who served as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Religious Affairs in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration under former Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin from March 2020 to August 2021,[1]Senator from March 2020 to March 2023 and 7th Mufti of the Federal Territories from June 2014 to his political appointments in March 2020. He is currently a member of the Muslim Council of Elders based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, led by Sheikh Dr. Ahmed el-Tayeb, and a member of The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America. He remains actively involved in presenting papers at national and international levels..[2] Zulkifli is also the founder of Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council's Pondok Moden Al-'Abaqirah, a religious educational institute.[3]
Education
Educational Background
He was born in Kampung Gong Pauh, Kemaman, Terengganu, on January 16, 1969, and attended Sekolah Kebangsaan Rengas Bekah, Kuala Terengganu (1976-1981). He continued his education at Sekolah Menengah Agama Sultan Zainal Abidin (SMASZA), Ladang, Kuala Terengganu (1982-1984) before pursuing his studies at the Thanawi level at Sekolah Menengah Agama (Atas) Sultan Zainal Abidin (SMAASZA), Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu (1985-1988).
Subsequently, Datuk Dr. Zulkifli pursued a Bachelor's degree in Shariah at the Islamic University of Madinah (1989-1993). He then furthered his education with a Master’s degree in Shariah at the University of Islamic and Arabic Sciences, Damascus, Syria (1994-1997), under the supervision of Sheikh Prof. Dr. Mustafa al-Khin.
He completed his Ph.D. at the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia (2002-2004), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Radzi Othman. His research topic was *"The Institution of the Mufti and Fatwa: An Analysis of the Enactments and Selected Fatwas of Negeri Sembilan."* </ref>
