Born in Kanthapuram, a village in Calicut District of Kerala, on 22nd March 1939, Kanthapuram hails from a mediocre peasant family of 'Alangam Poyil', the much popular and better known “A.P.” stands for this.  His father, Mouthariyil Ahmed Haji, was very pious and so was his mother, Kunheema Hajjumma, who was the daughter of Kuttoosa Molla, a teacher of Qur-An in the locality of Mangad, where reaches the family routes of his father too.  He has two brothers and three sisters.  His father died when he was twelve.  Zainab is the wife and he has six children, namely, A.P. Abdul Hakeem Azhari, Maymoona, Hafsa, Sakeena, Rayhana, and Najma Firdousi.  C. Muhammed Faizee, Abdul Bari Musliyar, Muhmmed Koya Saqafi and Obeidullah Saqafi are his inlaws.

He completed his elementary studies from A.M.L.P. School of Kanathapuram, where both Islamic and public instruction system co existed.  Later he completed his higher Elementary education.

Kanthapuram completed his course in Qur'An studies from Vennakkode Abdulla Musliyar, who was a scholar and qari'a, (one who recites Qur An phonetically).  He persuaded his studies in the Darses (the form of schools exist in mosques for religious and spiritual education) of Kanthapuram, Vavad, Kolikkal, Chaliyam and Thalakkadathur.  He was awarded the degree of Moulavi Fadhil Baqavi from the renowned Islamic study centre of Baqiyath Swalihath, Vellore, in 1963. Sheikh Hassan Hazrath, Muhammed Abubakkar Hazrath, O.K. Zainudheen Kutty Musliyar, Puthoor Abdulla Musliyar, Kizhakoth Abdul Hameed Musliyar, Vavad Pocker Kutty Musliyar, Kuttikkattor Bichali Musliyar are some of his famous teachers in different institutions and disciplines.

Starting his career as a Mudarris, (Principal of Dars) at the Juma Masjid of Mangad (Elettil), in 1964, he served the same in Kolikkal Juma Masjid between 1970-76 and in Kanthapuram Juma Masjid during 1976 to 1981.  In 1978, he among other prominent leaders, founded the ‘Markazu-Ssaquafathi-Ssunniyyah’ or the Sunni Cultural Centre, at Karanthur, near Calicut. Since 1981 he is the chief instructor at the Markaz Shariath College.

Family