Sheikh Omar (son of) Bakri (son of) Muhammad Fostok was born in 1958 into an orthodox and wealthy family in Beirut, Lebanon. From the age of five he was enrolled into Al-Kutaab Islamic School to study Islam. By the age of 12 he had memorized the Qur’aan. And by the age of 18 he had memorized the text (matn) of Saheeh Al-Bukhaari (not including isnaad, ‘chain of transmission’).

During his early adulthood, the Sheikh continued his Shari'ah studies through musaahabah (companionship) with several scholars of Bilaad ush-Shaam, (scholars from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine), from whom he studied Shari’ah, Usool ud-Deen (Fundamentals of Islam), Usool ul-Fiqh and Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence).

Throughout his life, Sheikh Omar joined a number of Islamic movements such as Ibaad ul-Rahman (Lebanon) and the Party of Liberation. He established the Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun on the 3rd of March 1983, with the aim to call society to Islam, command good, forbid evil and establish the Khilafah (Islamic caliphate). The group operated in a number of countries, including Britain, Denmark, Holland, Pakistan, India, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon and USA.

In 2001 (before 9/11), the Sheikh was guided to the ‘Aqeedah (doctrines) of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, the first and original sect in Islam. Consequently, he overtly renounced his previous “Maatureedi” (deviant) beliefs.

In August 2005, Sheikh Omar Bakri left Britain to visit family in Lebanon. He was barred from returning to Britain by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, despite living in the country for almost 20 years. He currently lives in Lebanon and is easily contactable via mobile phone.

During his stay in Britain he delivered hundreds of lectures and sermons extensively across the country. He also wrote many books and articles, in Arabic and English, some of which were:

• Usool ul-Fiqh (The Foundations of Islamic Jurisprudence)
• Ahkaam us-Salaat (The Rules of Prayer)
• Ahkaam un-Nikaah (The Rules of Marriage)
• Ahkaam ul-Buyoo' (The Rules of Transactions)
• Khabar ul-Ahaad (The Book on Single Reports)
• How to Observe Ramadaan
• Why Islam Declares War Against Insurance
• Political Struggle in Islam
• The Economic System in Islam
• The Judicial System in Islam
• Business and Company Structure in Islam
• The Islamic Standard
• The Fruits of Tawheed
• The Road to Jannah
• The Attributes of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah
• Kitaab ul-Hisbah (The Book of Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil)
• The World is Divided into Two Camps
• A Summary of the Unique Tawheed
• Poverty – The Islamic Perspective
• The Islamic Ruling on Interfaith
• The Kufr State of Saudi Arabia
• Is Jihad the Method to Establish the Khilaafah?
• Qowl us-Sahaabi (The Saying of the Companion)

We ask Allah (SWT) to increase his ‘ilm (knowledge) and keep him firm (steadfast) on the path of haq (truth). (Amin.)