Lineage
He is the Eminent Sheikh and Scholar: Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Rajhi. His lineage traces back to the renowned Bani Zayd tribe in Najd, which descends from Quda’ah—a famous Qahtanite tribe.
Birth
He—may Allah preserve him—was born in the city of Al-Bukayriyah in the Al-Qassim region in 1361 AH (approx. 1942 CE).
Seeking Knowledge and His Teachers
The Sheikh completed his primary education in Al-Bukayriyah, then joined the Scientific Institute in Riyadh, followed by the Faculty of Sharia. He subsequently earned a Master’s degree from the High Institute of Judiciary at the same university, with a thesis titled: Taqlid, Ifta, and Istifta (Imitation, Issuing Rulings, and Seeking Rulings).
- Early Recitation: In Al-Bukayriyah, he studied under the local Quran reciter, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman bin Salim (may Allah have mercy on him).
- Early Scholars: He attended several lessons and Friday sermons of Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), the former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia (d. 1389 AH).
He studied under a number of prominent scholars, including:
- Sheikh Abdullah bin Humaid (d. 1402 AH), former Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, under whom he studied Al-Kafi by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi.
- Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz (d. 1419 AH), former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Ibn Baz was his primary mentor whom he accompanied closely in study circles for a long period until his death. He studied numerous texts under him, including the complete Sunan An-Nasa’i, parts of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muntaqa Al-Akhbar, Kitab At-Tawheed by Ibn Khuzaymah, Al-Rawd Al-Murbi’, and others.
- Sheikh Abdul-Rahman bin Nasir Al-Barrak (may Allah preserve him).
- Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah bin Subayyil (d. 1412 AH), judge of Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Khabra, and Al-Badaya, under whom he studied while in Al-Bukayriyah.
At the university, he studied under leading scholars, such as:
- Sheikh Abdul-Razzaq Afifi (may Allah have mercy on him).
- Sheikh Abdullah bin Ghudayyan (may Allah have mercy on him).
The Sheikh also holds a number of scholarly certifications (ijazat) in the books of Hadith (Sunnah) and other Islamic disciplines.
Roles and Contributions
- Taught at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in the Faculty of Theology (Usul al-Din), Department of Creed (Aqeedah), continuing even after his formal retirement.
- Supervised and examined dozens of Master’s theses and Doctoral dissertations.
- Participated with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance during Hajj seasons through lecturing and issuing rulings (ifta).
- Taught at the Two Holy Mosques (in Mecca and Medina) during various seasonal periods.
- Served as a Friday preacher (Khateeb) in the city of Riyadh.
- Delivers regular scientific lessons in Riyadh; his weekly schedule includes more than twenty lessons across various Islamic sciences.
- Conducts foundational scholarly courses in creed (aqeedah) and other subjects throughout Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states.
Scholarly Works and Publications
The Sheikh has authored approximately seventy books (up to the writing of this biography), including:
- Minhat al-Malik al-Jalil bi-Sharh Sahih Muhammad bin Isma’il (Al-Bukhari) – 14 volumes.
- Tawfiq al-Rabb al-Mun’im bi-Sharh Sahih al-Imam Muslim – 9 volumes.
- Commentaries on a large number of treatises by Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
- Commentaries on the treatises of Imam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab.
- Hall al-Uqdah bi-Sharh al-Umdah (Umdat al-Fiqh) – 2 volumes.
- Al-Ifham bi-Sharh Bulugh al-Maram – 2 volumes.
- Al-I’anah ‘ala Taqrib al-Sharh wa al-Ibanah – 2 volumes.
- Al-Hidayah al-Rabbaniyyah bi-Sharh al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah.
- Taqlid, Ifta, and Istifta – His Master’s thesis.
In addition, he has issued over twenty thousand fatwas, spanning written verdicts, open Q&A sessions, phone inquiries, and daily lessons.
Prepared by the Scientific Committee at the Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Rajhi Foundation.