The Sheikh al-Akbar International Award 2025, instituted by the Sulthaniya International Institute of Ibn Arabi Studies (SIIIAS), has been conferred upon Sheikh Muhammad Bava Ustad, a revered master within several spiritual traditions. The awards were announced by the jury chairman, Dr. Hamid Hussain, a noted author of influential works on Sufi studies in English, former Director at the Ministry of Defence, and spokesperson of the AICC.
Sheikh Bava Ustad was selected for the award in recognition of his substantial contributions to Ibn Arabi studies and his leadership across contemporary Sufi orders. His initiatives include presenting Ibn Arabi’s biography in Malayalam, as well as translating and interpreting the seminal work Fusūs al-Ḥikam. He has also trained and guided numerous disciples in the Akbariyya tradition. In 2002, he awarded certificates to seventeen students who completed a two-year study of al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, thereby making a significant contribution to sustaining the Akbariyya lineage and its spiritual heritage.
