Born in Timbedra, eastern Mauritania in 1935, where he studied Islamic sciences and obtained several academic degrees, including a PhD in jurisprudence. He served as High Commissioner for Religious Affairs in the Presidency of the Republic of Mauritania, and was the country’s first Minister of Religious Affairs. He also held the ministries of basic education, justice, and humanitarian affairs. He currently chairs the Emirates Fatwa Council and the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace. He is a founding member of the Muslim Council of Elders and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Global Center for Renewal and Guidance in London, and the Sharia Board of the French Council for Islamic Finance. He is also a member of a number of prestigious international institutions around the world.