Sheikh Abbas

[citation needed] After ten years, he returned to Algeria and became the disciple of the reformer Abdelhamid Ben Badis.

[citation needed] At independence of Algeria, he was appointed ambassador to Saudi Arabia, following his resignation from the post he has held the office of President of the Supreme Islamic Council of Algeria, a seat he left to pursue weekly preaching in the Djamaa el Kebir mosque.

He restructured the mosque by creating a second prayer room and putting in place additional social services.

[citation needed] He allowed the mosque to receive a share of a specific budget from the Department of Endowments of Algeria and secondly to develop a body of 80 imams.

He also interjected to facilitate the return of many French-Muslims (Harkis) who had left the Algeria since independence in 1962 and stay there instead.