Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di
Encyclopedia
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di at-Tamimi (1889–1956) was a prominent Islamic scholar, jurist, exegete, and Arabic grammarian with a great interest in poetry who contributed many works on a variety of subjects.
in the Qasim Province of Saudi Arabia
on September 8, 1889 (12th of Muharram
1307 H). His mother died when he was four years old and his father when he was seven. He was raised by his stepmother until he became old enough to live with his brother.
As a child, he was known for his intelligence and memorized the Quran by the age of eleven. Even after memorizing the Qur'an, he continued to seek knowledge from the scholars of his town as well as those who passed through it, giving him experience in many Islamic disciplines.
and usool al-fiqh
. Initially, he adhered to the Hanbali
school of Islamic law
(madhab), as did his early teachers. He went on to study the works of Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) and Ibn al-Qayyim
(d.1350) extensively, and, as he progressed in his studies, he no longer restricted himself to the Hanbali school, but rather followed the course he believed to be proven by the strongest evidences. He was also an expert in tafsir
(Quranic exegesis or commentary), having read many books of tafsir and studied it under his teachers; he later authored a tafsir himself.
His students include:
of complications arising from an unidentified illness that he suffered from for approximately five years. He was buried in the city of Unayzah; his funeral prayer took place after the Dhuhur prayer in the grand mosque
of that city, with numerous people attending.
Early life
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'di was born in the city of UnayzahUnaizah
Unaizah or officially The Governorate of Unaizah is a Saudi Arabian city in the Al Qassim Province. It lies south of Buraydah and north of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...
in the Qasim Province of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
on September 8, 1889 (12th of Muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
1307 H). His mother died when he was four years old and his father when he was seven. He was raised by his stepmother until he became old enough to live with his brother.
As a child, he was known for his intelligence and memorized the Quran by the age of eleven. Even after memorizing the Qur'an, he continued to seek knowledge from the scholars of his town as well as those who passed through it, giving him experience in many Islamic disciplines.
Career
By the age of twenty-three, he was teaching students of his own. He was considered an expert in fiqhFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
and usool al-fiqh
Usul al-fiqh
Uṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
. Initially, he adhered to the Hanbali
Hanbali
The Hanbali school is one the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. The jurisprudence school traces back to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal but was institutionalized by his students. Hanbali jurisprudence is considered very strict and conservative, especially regarding questions of dogma...
school of Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
(madhab), as did his early teachers. He went on to study the works of Ibn Taymiyyah (d.1328) and Ibn al-Qayyim
Ibn al-Qayyim
Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr...
(d.1350) extensively, and, as he progressed in his studies, he no longer restricted himself to the Hanbali school, but rather followed the course he believed to be proven by the strongest evidences. He was also an expert in tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
(Quranic exegesis or commentary), having read many books of tafsir and studied it under his teachers; he later authored a tafsir himself.
His Teachers and Students
His teachers included:- Muhammad Amin as-Shanqiti
- Ali Nasir Abu Wadaye
- Salih ibn Uthman al-Qadi
- Muhammad ibn Abdul Kareem as-Shibil
His students include:
- Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen
- Abdullah ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Aqeel
- Ali ibn Zamal Aslaim
- Aludin Kujab Qadaas
- Ruzbehan Nurbakhsh
- Abdullah Albassam
His Works
Books and treatise written by as-Sa'di include:- Taysir al-Karim ar-Rahman fee Tafsir al-Qur’an - Tafsir of the Quran and his most famous work
- Manhaj al-Salikin
- al-Qawaa'id wal-Usool al-Jaami'ah wal-Furooq wat -Taqaaseem al-Badee'ah an-Naafi'ah - Explanation of the principles in Usool al-FiqhUsul al-fiqhUṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
- Haashiyah Fiqhiyyah
- Deewaan Khutab
- al-Qawaa'id al-Hisaan
- Tanzeeh ad-Deen
- Radd alaa al-Qaseemee
- al-Braansi Waaghir va-Jinna
- al-Haqq al-Waadhih al-Mubayyin
- Bahjatu Quloob al-Abraar
- ar-Riyaadh an-Naadhirah
- al-Durrat al-Fakhira (The Exquisite Pearl) ISBN 0-9542166-0-1
Death
as-Sa'di died at the age of 69 on a Thursday in the year 1956 C.E.Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
of complications arising from an unidentified illness that he suffered from for approximately five years. He was buried in the city of Unayzah; his funeral prayer took place after the Dhuhur prayer in the grand mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
of that city, with numerous people attending.