ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Āl ash-Shaykh (; 1848–1921) was a scholar from

Nejd Najd is a historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in al-Jawf to the north, ad-Dahna Desert in al-Ahsa to th ...

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

and was the grandfather of King Faisal. He was a descendant of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al Wahhāb.

Background

Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al ash-Sheikh was born in 1848 into the noted family of Nejdi religious scholars, the Al ash-Sheikh, descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. His father was . One of Abd Allah's brothers, Muhammad, was also a religious figure.

Career

Abd Allah was the leader of the Saudi

ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

at the end of the 19th century. He was the teacher of

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

, later King Abdulaziz, concerning the principles of the Islamic jurisprudence and

monotheism Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...

. In 1892, the Saudi state was destroyed by their rivals, the Al Rashid of Ha'il, and the Saudi leadership went into exile. Rather than going into exile as well, Abd Allah sided with the Al Rashid and moved to Ha'il. The

Al Saud The House of Saud ( ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi State, (1727–1818), and his brothers, though the ruling fac ...

returned from exile in 1902 under the leadership of Abdulaziz Al Saud (later Saudi Arabia's first king) and re-established the Saudi state around Riyadh. Abd Allah bin Abd al-Latif then changed sides again and re-joined the Al Saud, a change of heart which was accepted by Abdulaziz. Abd Allah was one of the ulemas who guided the early leaders of the Ikhwan when the group was formed by Abdulaziz in 1912. He remained as leader of the Saudi religious establishment until his death in 1921.

Personal life

In 1902, his and Haya bint Abdul Rahman Al Muqbel's daughter, Tarfa bint Abdullah, married Ibn Saud. Their son, Faisal, later became King of Saudi Arabia. Abdullah's two other daughters also married the members of the Al Saud family. His daughter Sara married Saad bin Abdul Rahman, full brother of King Abdulaziz. The other daughter, Munira, married to

Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ''Muḥammad bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd''; 1877 – 25 July 1943) was an Arabian soldier and politician who played a role in the conquests of his half-brother Abdulaziz that led to the formation of the ...

, half-brother of King Abdulaziz. These marriages were strategic moves to strengthen the links between two families, namely the Al Sauds and the Al Sheikhs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheikh, Abd Allah Abd al-Latif 20th-century Saudi Arabian people 1848 births 1921 deaths Saudi Arabian Wahhabis