Northern Region Mourns: Hundreds Bid Farewell to Anbariya Principal Imam, Sheikh Saeed Abubakr
The leader and Principal Imam of the Anbariya Muslim Community in Tamale, Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, has been laid to rest at the Nyanshagu Public Cemetery following his death on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Sheikh Saeed passed away in the Greater Accra Region, where he had travelled to seek medical attention.
Hundreds of mourners, including Imams from various Islamic sects and communities across the Northern Region, joined the burial ceremony to pay their final respects to the respected Islamic scholar and leader.
Among those present were the Northern Regional Chief Imam, Sheikh Abdul-Salam Ahmed, Islamic scholars, students, traditional leaders, political figures and members of the Anbariya Muslim Community.
Before his burial, the remains of Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria were flown from Accra to Tamale on Tuesday morning.
A funeral prayer, known as Janazah, was held for him at the Anbariya Main Campus at about 10:00 a.m., after which his body was conveyed to the Nyanshagu Public Cemetery for burial.
The atmosphere was one of grief and reflection as hundreds gathered to bid farewell to a man widely regarded as an influential Islamic scholar and spiritual leader.
Prior to the burial, Dr Mohammed Awal, a leading Imam of the Anbariya Muslim Community, officially announced the death of Sheikh Saeed during a live telecast.
He called on members of the Muslim community and the general public to remain calm and reflect on the legacy of the late scholar.
Dr Awal also prayed to Allah to forgive Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, have mercy upon him and grant him a peaceful journey to the hereafter.
Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria was a respected Islamic scholar and the Principal Imam and leader of the Anbariya Sunni Muslim Community in Tamale.
He assumed leadership of the Anbariya Muslim Community in 2007 after returning to Ghana from Canada, where he had served as an Imam.
He succeeded his teacher and mentor, the renowned Sheikh Yussif Ajura, founder of the Anbariya Islamic Institute in Tamale.
Sheikh Yussif Ajura established the Anbariya Islamic Institute during the 1970s and went on to build one of the most influential Islamic institutions and communities in Northern Ghana. He led the Anbariya movement until his death on December 22, 2004.
Following in the footsteps of his teacher and mentor, Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria continued the work of strengthening the Anbariya Muslim Community, promoting Islamic education and providing spiritual leadership to thousands of Muslims.
Under the leadership and guidance of Sheikh Yussif Ajura and later Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, the Anbariya Islamic Institute and its associated Muslim community grew into one of the Islamic groupings in the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole.
His death marks the end of an important chapter in the history of the Anbariya Muslim Community and has been received with deep sorrow by Muslims and admirers across the country.
As the community mourns its spiritual leader, tributes are expected to continue pouring in for Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, whose life was dedicated to Islamic scholarship, religious leadership and the development of the Muslim community.
May Allah forgive Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria, have mercy upon him, grant him Jannatul Firdaus, and forgive all the departed souls.
Source: Northwebonline.com
