Mawlawi Qiyamuddin Kashaf, head of Afghanistan’s Ulema Council – the country’s most prestigious council of religious scholars – passed away on Sunday at age 75, his colleagues confirmed.

He was suffering from a disease and had recently become bedridden, a member of the council said.

His funeral was held in Eidgah mosque in Kabul.

“Mr. Kashaf’s death at such a time is a big loss,” said Mawlawi Shahzada Shahid, a former MP.

“He was a member of the Ulema Council since 2001, and, after his death, Malawi Shinwari has been appointed as head of the council. He was a good person,” said Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, the minister of refugees and repatriation.

President Ghani in a statement called Kashaf's death a big loss for Afghanistan. He said Kashaf dedicated most of his life to learning about Islam and passing the knowledge on to others.

“He always wanted Afghanistan’s wellbeing and made lots of efforts for peace,” said Masoom Stanekzai, head of the government’s negotiation team.

Religious scholars said Kashaf was accomplished in his work in Islamic studies.

“He wrote nice books in his life,” said Abdul Salam Abid, a religious scholar.

“He translated important books from Arabic to Pashto,” said Shams-Ur-Rahman Frotan, a religious scholar.

Kashaf served as Interim Supreme Court Justice (2005-2006), Afghan Peace Jirga’s deputy chairman (2010), deputy head of the Afghanistan Ulema Council, head of the Ulema Council (2017 to 2020), member of the High Council for Peace and Reconciliation (which was canceled soon after it was established), and as a member of the High Peace Council.

He was born Alingar district, Laghman, in 1945.