Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (; 9 March 192910 January 2001) was a Saudi Islamic scholar.
Biography
Ibn al-Uthaymin was born on March 9, 1929, in the City of
Unayzah
Unaizah ( ar, عنيزة ) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; ar, محافظة عنيزة ) is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al-Qassim Province, Al Qassim Province. It lies south of the province ca ...
, Qaseem Region of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
. He is said to have memorized the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
at his early age and pursued an education in
Hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
,
Tafsir
Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
,
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
,
Arabic Language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and other Islamic studies, later graduating from the
College of Sharia
Umm Al-Qura University (UQU; ar, جامعة أم القرى ) is a public university in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The university was established as the College of Sharia (Islamic Law) in 1949 before being joined by new colleges and renamed as Umm Al- ...
in
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, Literal translation, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi Arabic, Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyad ...
. He went on to become a member of the Saudi Commission of Senior Islamic Scholars, a professor at the College of Shari'a at
Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University in
Qassim and a member of its Academic Council and treatises dealing with different aspects of the Islamic doctrine. His most important books are his 15-volume book on
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
and 10-volume book on the
interpretation of the Holy Qur'an. He also used to teach at the
Holy mosque
, native_name_lang = ar
, religious_affiliation = Islam
, image = Al-Haram mosque - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg
, image_upright = 1.25
, caption = Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca
, map ...
in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow val ...
during
Ramadan.
Education
After completing his memorization of the Qur'an and foundational studies, he began his full-time religious studies under Sheikh
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Mutawwa'
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...
and Sheikh
Ali al-Salihi in
Unayzah
Unaizah ( ar, عنيزة ) or officially The Governorate of Unaizah (also spelled Onaizah, Onizah, or Unayzah; ar, محافظة عنيزة ) is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al-Qassim Province, Al Qassim Province. It lies south of the province ca ...
. These were the two teachers that
sheikh 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di had appointed to instruct beginning students. After one year of studying under those two teachers, al-Uthaymeen began studying under sheikh '
Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di in 1945 and continued to be his student until al-Sa'di's death.
The year 1952, al-Salihi advised al-Uthaymeen to enroll in the newly opened ''Ma'had al-'Ilmi'' in
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, Literal translation, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi Arabic, Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyad ...
, which he did after seeking permission from al-Sa'di.
While there, he studied under Sheikh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shinqiti,
Sheikh 'Abd al-'Aziz bin Baz, and sheikh 'Abd al-Razzaq 'Afeefi, among others.
He studied there for two years before returning to Unayzah, where began teaching and continued his studies under al-Sa'di.
The Four Levels of Spiritual Response to a Calamity
Uthaymeen's theory on the four levels of spiritual response to a calamity is outlined below. This theory could be contrasted with
the Kübler-Ross model of the five stages of grief.
* Level One: Discontentment
* Level Two: Patience
* Level Three: Acceptance
* Level Four: Gratitude
Publications
* ''The Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah: The Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah.''
* ''The Creed of the Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah, Translated by Abu Nasir Ibrahim Abdur-Rauf.''
* ''How to Perform the Rituals of Hajj, Umrah and Visiting the Prophet’s Masjid.''
* ''Guidance For Fasting Muslims.''
* ''Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam.''
* ''Explanation of Summary of Hamaweyyah Creed.''
* ''What You Must Believe about Your Creator.''
* ''Rights and Duties in Islam.''
* ''A Study on Ablution, Bathing, Dry Ablution (Tayammum) and Prayer.''
* ''How Do We Believe in the Last Day?
''
Death
The Shaykh died on Wednesday 15 Shawwaal 1421
A.H. / 10 January 2001
C.E. at the age of 71.
References
External links
*
*
Biodata at MuslimScholars.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uthaymeen, Muhammad Ibn Al
1929 births
2001 deaths
20th-century Saudi Arabian people
Saudi Arabian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
Saudi Arabian imams
20th-century imams
Critics of Shia Islam
Saudi Arabian Salafis
Salafi Quietists
People from Unaizah
Sunni fiqh scholars
Critics of atheism
Critics of Christianity