Nik Abdul Aziz bin Nik Mat (born 1931 in Pulau Melaka, Kelantan) is a Malaysian politician, a Muslim ulama and currently the Menteri Besar of the state of Kelantan. He is the Mursyidul Am or spiritual leader of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).His Islamic studies began in pondok schools in Kelantan and Terengganu.He went on to Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, India for five years. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Arabic Studies and Master of Arts in Islamic jurisprudence from Al-Azhar University, Egypt. During his university studies, he was one of the witnesses and a civilian to have lived in the heat of Arab-Israeli Conflict.
Having returned from Egypt, Nik Aziz began as a teacher at various religious schools in Kelantan, hence his popular nickname "Tok Guru." He is able to converse in Arabic, English, Tamil and Urdu in addition to his native Malay language.
Nik Aziz has been known to command support from non-Muslims in Malaysia and has played a leading role during PAS' increase in popularity among non-Muslims.
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