Shaykh Hammoud Ibn Abdullah At-Tuwayjiri

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

A Brief Biography Of Al-Allaamah Ash-Shaykh Hammoud Ibn Abdullah At-Tuwayjiri
(May Allah Have Mercy Upon His Soul)
B. 1334 A.H. (1916 A.D.)- D. 1413 A.H. (1992 A.D.)[1]
[Adapted from a eulogy by Abdul-Kareem Ibn Hammoud At-Tuwayjiri]

The shaykh's full name was Abu Abdullah Hammoud Ibn Abdullah Ibn Hammoud Ibn Abdur-Rahmaan At-Tuwayjiri from the tribe of Bakr Ibn Wael Batn from Rabee'ah in Saudi Arabia. He was born in the city of Al-Majma'ah on Friday 15 of Dhul-Hijjah 1334 A.H. (October 15, 1916 A.D.) and his father
died in the year 1342 A.H. (1924 A.D.) when he was eight years old.

As a boy, Hammoud At-Tuwayjiri began reading at the hand of Shaykh Ahmed As-Saani' in the year 1342 A.H., just days before the death of his father. He learned, at the shaykh's hand, the fundamentals of reading and writing and he memorized the Qur'aan at the age of eleven. He also learned from the book “Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah” by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahaab (may Allah have mercy upon his soul). He began learning the book “Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar” with Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Aziz Al-'Anawi the Judge of Al-Majma'ah and had mastered it at the age of 13. He learned many sciences and arts by his thirties; Tafseer, Hadeeth, Tawheed, Fiqh, Language, History, Literature and others. He had committed to memory a number of Islamic texts. He earned an Ijaaza [2] in narrating the saheeh books, and the sunan and the masaneed as well as relating the books of Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Allaama Ibn Al-Qayyim, and in teaching the Hanbali madhab as well as all of the books of authentic narrations (marwiyaat li-kutub al-athbaat). Additionally, he studied at the hand of the jurist Al-Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Muhsin Al-Khayaal, the Judge of Medeenah in grammar and Al-Faraa’id.[3] He also studied under his Eminence Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Humaid (may Allah have mercy on his soul) a judge of Al-Majma'ah in language and Al-Faraa’id.

The shaykh became a judge in Raheemah and Ra's At-Tanoorah in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia in the year 1368 A.H. (1949 A.D.) for six months. He then took over a judgeship in Az-Zulfi in 1369 A.H. (1950 A.D.) until the end of 1372 A.H. (1953 A.D.) until he took an excuse from judging. He was asked to work for many academic associations and was asked to teach in Al-Ma'had Al'Ilmiyyah Ibbaan then in the College of Shariah, then in the Islamic University in Madeenah, then to work for Daarul-lftaa, but he refused all of that in order to be free to study, do research, and write.

The shaykh continued in his pursuit of knowledge and in its dissemination through many writings which were widely accepted by scholars and students in his time. His writings were highly acclaimed by scholars such as Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aali Shaykh (may Allah grant him mercy) and Shaykh Abdullah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Humaid Ibn Humaid (may Allah grant him mercy) and Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Baaz and Shaykh Abdur-Razaaq 'Afeefi and the Shaykh wrote on diverse topics in 'aqeedah [4] and ahkaam [5] and adaab [6] and as-sulook [7].

He opposed every one of the atheistic modernists and rebutted them with his pen in defense of the sunnah and sound aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah and his refutations were published in booklets, articles and in national and international journals. The shaykh has over fifty writings, forty of which have been published, such as: “Encirclement of the Jamaa'ah By What Will Come from Trials, Slaughter, and Signs of the Hour”, “The Conclusive Refutation Against the Sinful Criminal” [Rebuttal of those who attack Saheeh Al-Bukhaari], “Severe and Sharp Finish To Those Who Would Oppose The Kitaab, the Sunnah, the Consensus and the Traditions” [Rebuttal to those who have permitted interest [ribaa] in the banks], “Affirmation of Allah Being High Above His Creation”, “A Heated Word on Ordering the Good and Forbidding Evil”, “The Belief of the People of Faith Regarding the Creation of Adam upon the Image of Ar-Rahmaan”, “Clarification And Explanation Of Those Matters Which Many Fall Into Regarding The Confusions Of The Mushrikeen”, and the work presently in hand. The shaykh also provided commentary to many books.

His students were few because of his involvement in the work previously described. However, some of them were Abdullah Ar-Roomi, Abdullah Muhammad Hammoud, and Naasir Tareeri. The shaykh's sons, Abdullah, Muhammad, Abdul-Aziz, Abdul-Kareem, Saaleh and Ibraaheem learned from him, continued many of his works, and are versed in all of his works. Many callers to Islam have studied with the shaykh such as Shaykh Safar Al-Hawaali, Shaykh Ismaeel Al-Ansaari, Shaykh Salmaan Ibn Fahd Al- Oudah, Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Ibraaheem Ibn Qaasim, Judge of the Grand Council in Riyaadh, Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haady Al-Madkhaly, Shaykh Saaleh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Muhammad Aalish-Shaykh and others.

The shaykh was known for his high and noble character. He spoke softly and with wisdom, and he was not overly talkative but rather, full of ideas and serious thought. He was also gentle, mild-tempered and one who would sit with his children and the members of his household. He was easy with them without making distinctions between them and always applied fairness between male and female. His fairness was such that upon his death none of his children could say which from among them was more beloved. His kindness and compassion to the young and the womenfolk was evident in his speech and behavior.

He loved to offer advice through practical example in speech and deed. He never withheld advice or shunned consultation even with the youngest of his children and many times he changed what he was writing, or left a matter that he was attending to, or took up what he had left off, based upon such consultation or advice. He always upheld Allah's limits whenever he found proof from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and never put before them the word of a friend or the opinion of a scholar. He was as was said of Imaam Ash-Shaafi' (rahimahullah) - that when he was convinced of a proof from the sunnah of Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) he would never leave it for what may have been said by people. He always turned to the truth and stopped at that. He would take every step to rectify what he saw that may have been in error when shown what was correct. The eminent muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad Nasirudin Al-Albaani mentioned his love of the shaykh, his admiration for him, and praise for him.

Shaykh At-Tuwayjiri was intense in his anger for the sake of Allah upon learning of anyone openly disobeying Allah and His Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or opposing the sunnah or spreading innovation. He was very strong for the truth and no amount of disparagement from the people of innovation and vain desires could deter him and he fought them with his tongue and his pen. The shaykh was extremely self-reliant and would not ask for help even from those closest to him.

The shaykh was always in worship of Allah, spending his days in study and research until the sunset and until the night and he would sometimes stay up after 'Ishaa completing what he had started during the day. This is how he spent his final days. He would take a light nap after Dhuhr prayer. He would spend the final third of the night in Tahajjud whether traveling or at home and did not leave this practice even during his illness until he was unable to stand and he never left the Witr until his dying day, may Allah have mercy upon his soul!

The shaykh took to heart the advice of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) to his companions (radiallahu ‘anhum) and never neglected fasting three days of each month until the time he was unable to do so due to illness near the end of his life. He regularly fasted during the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, six days in Shawwaal or 'Aashuraa and other times. He was also regular in doing Hajj and 'Umra and indeed would go on 'Umra every year especially in Ramadaan. He would take half of the year in Mecca with his sons. He would constantly recite the Qur'aan in any position until he would do work while reciting and would also complete the Qur'aan every seven days except in Ramadaan when he would do so every three days. He would recite nearly four 30ths [Ajzaa] in his nightly standing in prayer.

His final illness began during the last three years however he concealed this up until the last year when it became more intensified. He was hospitalized three times and the last time just two days before his death. In his final illness he was patient and content with that which Allah had decreed for him until he passed away in the final hour of Tuesday, 5th of Rajab 1413 (December 30, 1992 A.D.). May Allah grant him the widest mercy and give him the best abode in the Paradise and put him in the company of the Prophets, the Siddiqeen, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. Aameen.

The prayer for him was made after Salatul-Dhuhr on Wednesday, 6th of Rajab, 1413 (December 31, 1992 A.D.) in Masjid Ar-Raajihiyy in Riyaadh and he was buried in the An-Naseem graveyard. His funeral was attended by masses who filled the masjid and every street and path leading to it along with many callers, scholars, and notables with Shaykh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Baaz leading the prayer. The Shaykh was eighty-seven years, six months and twenty days old at the time of his death. From Allah we come and to Him do we return.

Notes:

[1] All date conversions are approximate.

[2] Permission of the teaching scholar, license, or degree attained after reaching a high level of proficiency within that subject.

[3] Laws of Inheritance

[4] Beliefs

[5] Fundamentals of religion

[6] Manners

[7] Behavior
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Excerpted from Iqaamatul Burhaan.

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