He began at Sekolah Kebangsaan Terentang and Sekolah Kebangsaan Chincin up to Standard Six, continued at Madrasah al-Lughah al-Arabiyah Tangkak, Johor (to 1967) and Maahad Johor Arabic Secondary School (to 1971), then Akademi Yayasan Anda, Kuala Lumpur (to 1974).
He read Islamic law at Al-Azhar University, Egypt, earning a B.A. (Hons.) in 1979, followed by a Diploma in Education at the Kuliyah Tarbiyah of Al-Azhar. He also took an Advanced Diploma in Law and Judicial Administration at the International Islamic University Malaysia (9 July 1990 – 31 May 1991).
He served as a Religious Information Officer at the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (1982–1987), District Religious Officer of Alor Gajah (1987–1989), and acting Chief Kadi of JAIM in 1989. He was appointed Kadi of Melaka Tengah and transferred to the Alor Gajah District Religious Office on 1 July 1995.
He acted as Mufti of Melaka from 1 April 1996 and was officially installed as the fourth Mufti on 6 December 1996. He reached mandatory retirement on 22 September 2006 and was re-engaged on contract until 22 September 2014. He was also a member of the Melaka Islamic Religious Council (1996–2014), Chairman of the Melaka Fatwa Committee (1996–2014), and a board member and Fellow of the Melaka Zakat Centre (2000–2014).
He delivered many religious lectures in mosques across Melaka and took part in forums, seminars and courses. Among his greatest contributions was founding the Al-Khawarizmi Falak (Astronomy) Complex — comprising an Observatory, Planetarium and Falak Training Centre at Kampung Balik Batu, Tanjung Bidara, Melaka — and pioneering the e-Masjid project linking mosques across Melaka through the al-azim.com website. He also served on and chaired numerous committees, including the Fatwa Committee, the Crescent-Sighting Committee, and the Melaka Halal Certification Panel.
He received Excellent Service Awards (2001, 2004). He was conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), carrying the title Datuk, in 1997, and the Darjah Cemerlang Seri Melaka (DCSM), carrying the title Datuk Wira, in 2003. He was named the Maal Hijrah 1433H Icon by the Melaka State Government in 2011.