Sheikh Ahmed Deedat Biography

Ahmed Hoosen Deedat (July 1, 1918 – August 8, 2005)
The world renowned Muslim Scholar of Comparative Religion, was born in the Surat district of India in 1918. Ahmed Hoosen Deedat had no recollection of his father until 1926. His father, a tailor by profession, had emigrated to South Africa shortly after the birth of Ahmed Deedat.
With no formal education and fighting off the extreme pangs of poverty, he went to South Africa in 1927 to be with his father. His farewell to his mother in India in 1927 was the last time he saw her alive for she passed away a few months later.
In a foreign land, a boy of nine with no formal schooling and command of the English language began preparing for the role he was to play decades later without realizing it.
Applying himself with diligence to his studies, the little boy not only was able to overcome the language barrier but also excelled in school. His avid passion for reading helped him gain promotions until he completed standard six. Lack of finance interrupted his schooling and at the early age of about sixteen he took on the first of many jobs in retailing.
The most significant of these was in 1936 where he worked at a Muslim owned store near a Christian seminary on the Natal South Coast. The incessant insults of the trainee missionaries hurled against Islam during their brief visits to the store infused a stubborn flame of desire within the young man to counteract their false propaganda.
As fate would have it, Ahmed Deedat discovered by pure chance a book entitled Izharul-Haq, meaning, ‘The Truth Revealed’. This book recorded the techniques and enormous success of the efforts of Muslims in India in turning the tables against Christian missionary harassment during the British subjugation and rule of India. In particular, the idea of holding debates had a profound effect on Ahmed Deedat.
Armed with this newly found zeal, Ahmed Deedat purchased his first Bible and began holding debates and discussions with the trainee missionaries. When they beat a hasty retreat in the face of his incisive counter arguments, he personally called on their teachers and even priests in the surrounding areas.
These successes spurred Ahmed Deedat in the direction of Da’wah. Not even his marriage, birth of children and a three-year sojourn to Pakistan after its independence dampened his enthusiasm or dulled his desire to defend Islam from the deceitful distortions of the Christian missionaries.
With missionary zeal to project the Truth and beauty of Islam. Ahmed Deedat immersed himself into a host of activities over the next three decades. He conducted classes on Bible studies and gave numerous lectures. He established the As-Salaam, an institute to train propagators of Islam. He, together with his family, almost single-handedly erected the buildings including the masjid, which is still a landmark today.
He was a founder member of the Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI), Durban, and became its President. He has authored and published several books and distributed millions of copies free of charge. He has delivered thousands of lectures all over the world and successfully engaged prominent Christian Evangelists in public debates. Several thousand people have come into the fold of Islam as a result of these efforts.
In a fitting tribute to this monumental achievement, he was awarded the King Faisal International Award in 1986, a prestigious recognition of enormous value in the world of Islam. However, no number of awards and honors can truly capture Sheikh Ahmed Deedat’s essence and zeal for Islam.
Sheikh Ahmed Deedat passed away on August 8, 2005 (aged 87). We pray that Allah accepts all his good deeds and his work in the service of Islam and Comparative Religion. Ameen.
23/12/2016: We have recently launched Sheikh Ahmed Deedat Radio – http://deed.at – Listen Live 24.7 – All of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat’s lectures, debates and programs!
Contact Information:
Following is the latest contact information for The Islamic Propagation Centre International (IPCI) in Durban, South Africa.
Your could email or call to get more information about events and news. The IPCI also provides free literature on request.
The Islamic Propagation Centre International
4th Floor, 124 Queen Street, Durban 4001 South Africa
P.O. Box 2439, Durban 4000 South Africa
Phone: +27 031 3060026 / 7
Email: info@ipcisa.com
King Faisal International Award; 1986
Following is the translated copy of the King Faisal International Award presented to Sheikh Ahmad Deedat for his prominent service to Islam for over a period of forty years. At present Mr. Deedat is recovering from a stroke he suffered in 1996-97. We pray to Allah for his health and recovery. May Allah Almighty shower his Blessings and Mercy upon him.



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Al-Hamdulillah I spent a very great and a long time visiting Shaikh Ahmed Deedat Rahimahullah almost daily to King Faisal Specialized Hospital along with my friends Br. Imran Siddiqui (Islamic Orator on Comparative Religions, and Founder of IREF-Islamic Research and Educational Foundation, and supposed student of Shaikh Ahmed Deedat Rahimahullah) and others during his treatment while he was admitted to this hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al-Hamdulillah got benefited greatly from him even though Shaikh was bedridden and paralyzed. Finally, I also consider myself as his student. Also, frequently met Brother Yousef Deedat Hafidhahullah, and Shaikh’s wife during almost our every visit. May Allah SWT forgive the Shaikh for all his shortcomings and grant him Jannat Al-Firdouse in the hereafter. Ameen Ya Rab Al-Alameen. I wonder if someone could provide me with the contact number of Brother Yousef Ahmed Deedat (Hafidhahullah).
Thru His Literatures Am Now Withstanding And Harder On Devils…May The Almghty Allah Grant Ahmed Deedat Jannatul Firdausi..Inshallah Rip Sheikh!
may Allah guide and reward him and may his soul rest in perfect peace
ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR!! ALLAHU AKBAR!!! May almight grand him with aljannatul fiddausi may allah forgive him and may allah help his family and may allah help me to be like him ABUBAKAR MUAZU IBRAHIM from KADUNA, KADUNA STATE OF NIGERIA.
I have never seen such kind of agrat man.
may Allah bestow him the highest place in jannah….personally he continues to be my role model throughout my life….his speech, knowledge amazing……
Uhum we never forget the strong man like dedat in our life my Allah grand him paradise
May almighty grant him with jannatul firdaus ameen
SALAM ALAYKUM. Only Allas (swt) can reward Ahmad Deedat.He did his best to show Islam to the world. May ALLAH grants him Djannatul Firdaws.
MAY HIS GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE MASHA ALLAH.
may d peace and blessing be on to him and also may allah have his hand on his family dt his left.
May Allah reward him to paradise he was very good scholar of Islam i like some much
May Allah grant him Heaven and may his sins be forgiven. RIP Sheikh Ahmed Deedat
May Allah (s.w.t) forgive Ahmad Deedat for his enormous contributions to Islam. I listened to his numerous lectures and read his book entitled,”IS THE BIBLE GOD’S WORD?” and I immensely benefited from it. My words are not enough to express my appreciations and how I hold our great intellectual. May his deeds be accepted by Allah. The loss of this man in the face of muslims is unreplenishable. May Allah forgive him,AMEEN.
Ahmed Deedat,May Allah rest his soul in peace and have mercy upon him.
Sheikh Ahmed DEEDAT is my favourite scholar I really admire him,May his soul rest in peace…I love you Mr DEEDAT……
AW WR WB May Ahmed Deedat allah reward you jannatul firdous !!! His best intelactul muslim hero!!!
may allah put him in paraddise
Allahu Akbar Allah shed your mercy to shk ahmed.ameen
MAY THE ALMIGHTY ALLAH SHOWER HIS BLESSING ON OUR GREAT BELOVED FATHER SHEIK AHMEED DEEDAT …………………… AMIN ……………………..
Shiekh Ahmed Deddat (Rahmatullah alaih) Masha Allah he has done a great job for Muslims & Islam its being only 2 months i started watching his lectures & debates but i am able to debate with Christians around me, i love him soo much i wish i could see & meet him but Insh Allah i believe if i do good deeds i will meet him in Jannah Insha Allah, an honorable great man
May Allah swt grant him highest place in Jannah
Muhammad Fahad Rehman (Karachi, Pakistan )
Ma’a Salama
May jannatul firdaus be his final abode. He is indeed my role model.
mashAllah, in the name of ALLAH i missed sheikh ahmed deedaat may ALLAH bless u and grant u mercy inshAllah we pray for u
May Allah bless our father ,our teacher, the brave man , the lion, the wise and intellectual Sheikh ahmed deedat, he revealed the truth , told the world to know the chain of messangers of God from ADAM. ..moses, ..Jesus .. to Mohamed (pbuh).. that they were all messangers of Allah , spreading the message of God, to the people .. that there is only one Almighty God to worship. and all the God`s messangers were telling to the their people only that message . May allah forgive us , and forgive our parents and Children , may allah reward us to Janah. May allah reward Ahmed deedat To JANATUL FARDOSA FOR his sucriface to spread the Word of God. AMEEEN
my ALLAH grant him for all the good he did
may ALLAH grant him in janah the goodhe did
May Allah make paradise to be his home and may Allah make me more him to be deedat plus.