Islamic jurist and former chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council. He held a prominent role in Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in the world, serving as a temporary chief adviser from 1991 to 1992. He majored in Usul al-fiqh, the principles of Islamic jurisprudence, at As'adiyah Madrasah in Sengkang, South Sulawesi. From 1959-1965 he served as a jurist and inspectorate of religious courts. In 1971 he became involved in NU at the national level and was appointed to the House of Representatives where he remained until 1987.
