Biography of Shaykh As-Sa'di
His lineage
He is the great scholar, the pious person, the Zahid (one who abstained from the unnecessary things of this world), the jurist, the scholar of the principles of Fiqh. The great scholar of al-Qasim, and our Shaikh, Abi Abdillah Abdur-Rahman ibn Nasir ibn Abdillah ibn Nasir ibn Hamd Aal Sa’di, from the tribe of Banu Tamim.
His birth
He was born in Unayzah, in al-Qasim, on the twelfth of Muharram 1307H, and he lived as an orphan, without either of his parents.
His upbringing
His father gave importance to his cultivation, and before his death he instructed his eldest son to look after him, and he took on the task of caring for him in the best manner. So he was equipped with a righteous environment, and with a great desire to seek knowledge, and he exerted in it day and night, day after day.
His characteristics
(a) His physical characteristics: He was of medium height, his hair was dense; and he had a full, round face, and a dense beard. He was whitish in colour, with a reddish tinge. He had a handsome face, with light upon it, and a pure complexion.
(b) His manners: He was good-humoured, and beloved to the people on account of his good nature. Anger would not be seen upon his face. He had a great degree of humility and modesty, and he was amiable, to an extent that is rarely found. He was humble with the young and the old, the rich and the poor.
He had a high level of manners, decency, uprightness, and firm resolve in all his affairs. He abstained from the unnecessary things of this world, and was one who witheld (from asking). He had selfrespect, despite his possessing very little. He felt compassion towards the poor, the needy, and the strangers. He would give money to the poor and needy students, so that they could free themselves from preoccupation with seeking a livelihood. He loved to bring about peace and rectification between the people. His clothing was moderate in fineness, and avoided conspicuousness.
His life in the field of knowledge
His overriding concern in his life was to derive the benefit of knowledge, and to utilize his time for that. So he began with memorization of the Qur·aan at an early age, and he had memorized it proficiently by the age of eleven. Then he began acquiring the rest of the branches of Islamic knowledge.
He did not restrict himself whilst seeking knowledge to a single field of knowledge; rather he studied many fields: so he studied Tafsir, Hadith, Creed and Belief, Fiqh, Usul, Science of Hadith, the sciences of the language, and other than this. The Shaikh gave a great deal of attention to the books of the two Shaikhs of Islaam: Ibn Taimiyyah and Ibnul-Qayyim; he devoted himself to reading and revising them, and to memorising and understanding them, and to writing and abridging them.
He first sat to teach at the age of twenty three, and he used to divide his time between learning and teaching. He would spend some time in reading to the scholars, and some time in sitting to teach the students. He would also spend some time in referring to the books, and in researching within them. He would not allow any of his time to be lost without his utilising it, to such an extent that teaching in his city fell to him, and all of the students relied upon him with regard to their education.
His Shaikhs
- Shaikh Ibrahim ibn Hamd ibn Jaasir (1241-1338 H). He was the first Shaikh whom he read to. He learned from him Tafsir and Hadith, and the Principles (Usul) of both of them.
- Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdil-Karim ash-Shibl (1257-1343 H). He learned from him Fiqh, and its Principles, and the sciences of the Arabic Language.
- Shaikh Muhammad ibn ash-Shaikh Abdil-Aziz al-Muhammad al-Mani’ (1300-1385 H). He learned from him the sciences of the Arabic Language.
- Shaikh Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti (1289-1351 H). He learned from him Tafseer, Hadeeth, Science of Hadeeth, and the sciences of the Language.
His students
- Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. He took over from his Shaikh in the duty of Imam of the Congregational Mosque of Unayzah, and in teaching, admonishing, and delivering the khutbah.
- Shaikh Abdullah ibn Abdur-Rahman al-Bassam. Member of the Discretionary Committee in the Western Region.
- Shaikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Muhammad as-Salman. He studied in the Imaamud-Da`wah Institute in ar-Riyad, and he followed the path of his shaikh in authorship.
His writings
Shaikh Ibn Sa’di -rahimahullah- gave great attention to writing works. He produced many works in the different fields of Islamic knowledge. Some have been printed, while others are, as yet, unprinted. So from the printed works are:
- al-Adillatul-Qawati’ wal-Barahin fi Ibtal Usulil-Mulhidin;
- al-Irshad ila Ma’rifatil-Ahkam;
- Bahjatu Qulubil-Abrar wa Qurratu ‘Uyunil-Akhyar fi Sharh Jawami’il-Akhbar, and it is presently being prepared and attended to;
- Tawdihul-Kafiyatish-Shafiyah;
- at-Tawdih wal-Bayan lishajaratil-Iman;
- at-Tanbihatul-Latifah feemahtawat ‘alaihil-Wasitiyyah minal-Mabahithil-Munifah;
- Taysirul-Karimir-Rahman fi Tafsir Kalamil-Mannan;
- ad-Durratul-Mukhtasarh fi Mahasin Dinil-Islam’;
- Risalah fil-Qawa’idil-Fiqhiyyah;
- Risalah Latifah Jami’ah fi Usulil-Fiqhil-Muhimmah; and it is before your eyes, along with annotations upon it;
- Tariqul-Wusul ilal-Ilmil-Ma·mool bima rifatil-Qawa’id wad-Dawabit wal-Usul;
- al-Fatawas-Sa’diyyah.They were gathered after his death -rahimahullahu Ta’ala.
- al-Qawa’idul-Hisan li-Tafsiril-Qur’an;
- al-Qawlus-Sadid fi Maqasidit-Tawhid;
- Manhajus-Salikin wa Tawdihul-Fiqh fid-Din;
- al-Wasa·ilul-Mufidah lil-Hayatis-Sa’idah.
His illness and death
He fell ill in the year 1371 H, i.e. five years before his death, with the illness of high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, and it would strike him time after time, and he bore it patiently, until he moved on to his Lord, at the time of Fajr, on Thursday the 22nd of Jumadal-Akhirah 1376 H – may Allah forgive him, and his parents, and our parents, and all of the Muslims.
-
- Estimated Reading Time5 min read
- Biography
- Last modified