25 Rabīʿ al-Thānī '44 — Biography

Brief Biography of: Sheikh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī (رحمه الله)

Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm

His Name and Lineage

His name is Sheikh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nasīr ibn Ḥammād al-Saʿdī, and he is from the descendants of the tribe of Banī Tamīm.

He was born in the town of ʿUnaizah in the year 1307 AH (1889 AD). His mother, Fāṭimah bint ʿAbdullāh al-ʿUthaymīn, passed away in the year 1311 AH, while he was just four years old. His father also then passed away in the year 1314 AH while he was seven years old. After this, he was then raised as an orphan after losing both of his parents.

His father was one of the scholars of ʿUnaizah and commenced the role of the Imām in al-Masjid al-Maskuf in the year 1310 AH, after previously being the reader in the lessons of the judge of ʿUnaizah in that time, who was ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad al-Mani’ in the main masjid.

His Pursuit of Knowledge

When he surpassed the age of reasoning and understanding, he commenced in memorizing the Qurʾān. He completed his memorizing the Qurʾān at eleven years of age at the hands of the reciter: al-Sheikh Sulaimān al-Dāmigh. He then enbarked in seeking knowledge and memorizing the shorter Islāmic works and was diligent in doing so and he worked hard in it until he encompassed in his youth that which others were unable to gain until he became distinguished amongest his relatives. So when his relatives witnessed his ascendency over them in various sciences, they became his pupils and this made him both student and teacher at the same time.

He gained knowledge from numerous scholars:

..and more.

He studied under the scholars and benefitted from them immensely alongside what he was gifted from great understanding and a perserverance in seeking knowledge together with a devotion to the books of Sheikh al-Islām ibn Taymiyyah and his student ibn al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy on them both.

His Manners

The manners of the Sheikh has been described by his student, ʿAbdullāh al-Bassām:

"He had manners more delicate than the gentle breeze, more soothing than a pleasant drink, he would not reprimand on account of a lapse. He would endear himself and become favorable to the close and the distant, he would greet you with joy and bid you farewell with pleasantries. He would befriend you upon goodness and sit with you as a close friend, he would recall jovial and beloved speech, he would show kindness to the poor and the young, exert his capabilities to do good and help using his wealth or position, he would spread his knowledge and advice. He would declare his perspective and advice truthfully with a sincere heart and conceal the secrets, he would offer verdicts in issues that proved problematic to the people and arrange their wills and contracts for them and he would convene their marriage agreements all for the sake of Allāh, not seeking a recompense except from Allāh. Regardless of how much I would like to enumerate his virtues and qualities that he adorned himself with, I fall short in doing so and my pen proves to be incapable, and this cannot be fully comprehended except by those who associated closely with him or met him. All this is coupled alongside his abstinence of the worldly life, his piety and limited possessions."

His Works

The Sheikh began to author at an early stage of his life, he authored in numerous sciences and it is evidence of his vast knowledge and the fludity of his writing. His works are listed below:

..and more.

His Death

In the year 1371 AH, the Sheikh was afflicted with high blood pressure and an ailment that affected his veins (arteriosclerosis) five years before his death. It would affect him from time to time until Allāh caused him to pass away prior to the Fajr prayer on Thursday the twenty-third of Jumādā al-Thānī in the year 1376 AH.

The funeral prayer was commenced after the Ḍuhr prayer in the grand mosque of ʿUnaizah, he was buried in al-Shahwaniyyah cemetery to the North of ʿUnaizah.

May Allāh have mercy on the Sheikh, and reward him for his contributions to the religion of Islām.

May Allāh bless you, and shukran.

Source : Brief contents of the biography is extracted from the book, The Stories of the Prophets by Sheikh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī, in which it was taken from al-Sheikh ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz al-ʿAqīl entitled al-Sheikh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī As if I Know Him, with minor changes to the original wording.