Jakarta, NU Online
Prof. Dr. KH. Ali Mustafa Yaqub (Kiai Ali), the grand imam of the country's biggest mosque, Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, died on Thursday morning.

The Batang-born Central Java native passed away at Hermina Hospital in Ciputat, South Tangerang, at 6 a.m on Thursday, Istiqlal Mosque head of protocol Abu Hurairah Abdul Salam told newsportal tribunnews.com.

His body was taken to his home in Ciputat, South Tangerang, before being buried at the Darus-Sunnah Islamic Boarding School, which he founded.

The former member of the Advisory Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) was known as a prominent Islamic scholar and an expert on the hadiths (Prophet Muhammad's sayings).

He graduated from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh in 1980 and continued his post-graduate study at King Saud University, majoring in tafsir ( translation and interpretation of the Holy Koran ) and hadiths, until he graduated in 1985.

He was the fourth grand imam of Southeast Asia's  largest mosque, serving for 10 years from 2005 to 2015.

Kiai Ali also hosted US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during their visit to Istiqlal Mosque on Nov. 10, 2010. (Masdar)