[1] He is regarded as one of the giants among Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, as he serves as the Ra'is Amm (national chairman) of Jam’iyyah Ahli Thariqah al-Mu’tabarah al-Nahdliyah (the Association of Recognized Sufi Orders), holding authority toward the direction of traditions within the Sufis in Indonesia and its institutions.

[2][3] He is also commonly held as the guardian of Islamic harmony within the framework of Indonesia as a nation-state,[4] taking the leadership of thousands of santris in several madrasahs and pesantrens across the archipelago.

[1][5] Luthfi is a descendant of the group of the prominent Hadhrami Arab family Ba 'Alawi sada which is considered can be traced back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

He learned the science of Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf) among Naqshbandi and Shadhili tariqas, and obtained the certificate of bay'ah (oath) and the qualification for murshid (educator) under the supervision of Muhammadiyah ulamas.

Following this, he moved to Mecca and Medina, receiving the diploma for several fields of Islamic science including sharia, tariqa, tasawwuf, tafsir and hadith studies.