’Uthaimeen when He would be Absent from His Assigned Duties at his Mosque and when Late for Work
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“An amazing example of his piety was that when he would be absent from leading the prayer at the Al-Jaami’ al-Kabir [mosque] in ’Unaizah where he was the appointed Imaam and for which he would receive a monthly stipend, he would give the money equal to his absence, even if it was only one day, to the person who covered him as Imaam.
Likewise, when he was teaching at the educational academy in ’Unaizah, if he were late to work—even if it were only a few minutes—he would write his lateness down in the [signing in] register and next to it write, ‘Without an excuse.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, pp. 24-25.
’Uthaimeen and the Fax Machine
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“Shaikh Badr ibn Naadir al-Mashaari mentions the following, ‘The Shaikh phoned one of the Shaikhs who worked in the courts [as a judge] so that he could send a personal letter to him which had no connection to the courts but was for him personally, so the judge told Shaikh ’Uthaimeen that there was a fax machine next to him to which he could send the letter. So ’Uthaimeen asked him, ‘Isn’t that the court’s fax machine.’ ‘Yes,’ replied the judge. ’Uthaimeen said, ‘How can I send a personal letter at the cost [of the bait al-maal] of the Muslims? Go and buy a fax machine so I can send you this letter,’ and so he did and the Shaikh then sent the letter.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 24.
’Uthaimeen Issuing a Fatwa, then Withholding and Going to Ask His Shaikh for Guidance, His Shaikh Being Ibn Baaz
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“And this shows the pinnacle of his piety in issuing fatwas, and this was concerning glucose injections, in one of his lectures he mentioned a ruling concerning them and one of the people present objected with a medical opinion which went against the fatwa that the Shaikh had given, so the Shaikh announced that he [now] withheld judgement until he would go and ask his Shaikh, the ’Allaamah ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him. Then the next day he came back and gave them the fatwa of his Shaikh.”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 23.
’Uthaimeen and the Prince of Qaseem’s Gift
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“The Shaikh’s son, ’Abdullah ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen told me the following, he said, ‘Prince ’Abdul-Ilaah ibn ’Abdul-’Aziz Aal-Su’ood, the Ameer of Qaseem, sent a new American car to the Shaikh as a gift. When the Shaikh got to his house he found the car next to it and was told about what had happened. So the car sat there for five days without being driven, then the Shaikh having made his decision called his son ’Abdullah and said, ‘Take the car to the prince and thank him for what he did but tell him that I don’t need it.’ So the car was sent back to the prince. The Shaikh had an old, cheap car, he wouldn’t pay heed to the appearance of his ride, and he passed away and still had that same old car.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 23.
’Uthaimeen and Money Offered to him for Giving Lectures
February 14, 2014 § Leave a comment
“The accountant for the administration of girl’s education in ’Unaizah presented the Shaikh with some money for the lectures that he had given in the Faculty of Education for women in ’Unaizah, so al-’Uthaimeen said, ‘And you want me to draw a wage for [what I hold to be] my obligations towards my daughters and sisters in religion?’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 22.
Take Heed and Use Your Brain, This is How It’s Done: The Man who Abused and Cursed Ibn Baaz and who then Passed Away—The Gentleness, Mercy, and Understanding of Ibn Baaz
February 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
“An example of the soundness of the Shaikh’s heart can be seen in what Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Jallaal narrated to me, may Allaah reward him, where he said that Shaikh Ibn Baaz ruled against a man in a certain issue and the man became upset and he was someone who had a sharp tongue and he started to insult the Shaikh and speak ill of him.
After a while that man passed away while Shaikh Ibn Baaz was on Hajj. When his body was brought forward after one of the obligatory prayers to be prayed over, the Imaam, who was one of the students of Shaikh Ibn Baaz, asked, ‘Who is the deceased?’ They said, ‘So and so.’ He said, ‘The one who spoke ill of Shaikh Ibn Baaz and swore at him? By Allaah, I won’t pray over him!’
We prayed over him along with the people. [Afterwards] some people were saying that this Imaam who didn’t pray over that man will have a high and privileged standing in the eyes of Shaikh ’Abdul-’Aziz.
When the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, came back from Hajj, they told him that that man had passed away, so he asked for Allaah’s mercy for him. Then they told him that the Imaam didn’t pray over him—and the Shaikh became angry, visibly so, and he wasn’t pleased [at all]. Then he told someone, either ’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Jallaal or someone else, to take him to the graveyard, and [when he got there] he stood at the grave of that man and prayed and supplicated for him.”
Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa ’Ibar, p. 67.
Young or Old, Male or Female, They All Loved Ibn Baaz—But Why? What was The Secret? Ibn Baaz Replies
February 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
“One time in his car I asked him, ‘Yaa Shaikh ’Abdul-’Aziz, I don’t know anyone except that they love you, young or old, male or female, this is almost something unanimous, what is the secret to that, O Shaikh?’ So he, may Allaah have mercy on him, tried to excuse himself from answering. So I repeated the question once or twice more, so he said words to the effect, ‘I do not have spite/hatred for any Muslim, and I do not hear of enmity between two except that I rush to reconcile between them.’”
Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa ’Ibar, pp. 66-67.
Ibn Baaz and the Number of Times He Read Al-Nawawi’s Explanation of Saheeh Muslim
February 13, 2014 § 2 Comments
“Shaikh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked what the best book that he had read was, so he replied, ‘Al-Nawawi’s explanation of Saheeh Muslim,’ [which is eighteen odd volumes] and the person narrating this said that the Shaikh said, ‘I’ve read it more than sixty times.’”
Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa ’Ibar, p. 28.
Ibn Baaz Sitting on Hay, There’s Rain and Lightning, He’s Crying and Teaching
February 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
“Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan al-Jallaal told me that one time he went out for a picnic with His Eminence [Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him], and said, ‘When we prayed maghrib and sat, as far as I recall, a cloud came along and it started to rain with Allaah’s leave and it became heavy. The Shaikh told us to go back, we did and [by then] on the way darkness had spread. When we had left some farmers had seen us [earlier] when we had passed them by, and they knew that the Shaikh was with us, so [now] they started to light some fires with leafless palm-branches so that we could see our way, when we saw the fires we found our way to their farms and came to them. In those days the people were in difficult times, they took us to a small room made of clay where hay would be kept and it was still raining, we let the Shaikh enter and then got up on the hay along with him and sat on it, waiting for the rain to slow.
So the Shaikh said to me, ‘O Abu ’Abdullah, read.’ So I was surprised, how can I read at this uneasy time? It’s night time, raining and there’s lightning!
So the Shaikh said, ‘Since we’re sitting here, recite, and recite your portion.’
When the Shaikh said, ‘Recite your portion,’ I realised that the Shaikh meant that I should lengthen my recitation. So I recited from Surah al-A’raaf and when I finished the Shaikh started to elucidate and explain it and tears were preceding his words, may Allaah have mercy on him.”
Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa ’Ibar, pp. 19-20.
See this post for more about Ibn Baaz crying, may Allaah grant him Firdous, wa sallallaahu ’alaa Muhammad, Aameen.
Ibn Baaz During Hajj, Hundreds of People Around Him and the Fruit …
February 10, 2014 § Leave a comment
“In ’Arafah during 1418AH/1998CE he was sitting at the place of prayer and hundreds of people were around him. Some cut fruit was brought to him because during the Hajj rituals it was his habit that most of the time he would only eat fruit and dates and laban. So when it was put before him he said, ‘Have all those present been given the same thing [too]?’ They replied, ‘No.’ So he said, ‘Take it away,’ and became angry.”
Jawaanib min Seeratil-Imaam ’Abdul-’Aziz Ibn Baaz, p. 130.
Ibn Baaz, the Cadillac, the Mercedes, the Ford, the Buick and the Caprice …
February 8, 2014 § 1 Comment
“The time for the car that was accorded to him and people like him by the government had expired and they wanted to change it to something newer.
So Ibn Baaz said, ‘What’s wrong with this one?’
He was told that its time had expired and so, ‘What would you like instead, Eminent Shaikh?’
‘What types of car are available?’ he asked.
So they mentioned a Cadillac, Mercedes, Ford, Buick and others.
He said, ‘And the Caprice?’
They said, ‘It doesn’t befit your rank.’
He replied, ‘Why? Isn’t the grave one [and the same for everyone]?’”
Jawaanib min Seeratil-Imaam ’Abdul-’Aziz Ibn Baaz, p. 128.
’Uthaimeen and The Russian Pilgrims
February 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
“This incident was mentioned by one of the members of the Da’wah and Guidance Office in Jeddah. During Hajj in the year 1417AH/1996CE he was with Shaikh Ibn ’Uthaimeen at King ’Abdul-’Aziz Airport in Jeddah. The Shaikh would stand amongst the pilgrims arriving for Hajj carrying out his obligation of da’wah and teaching. He was then surprised by the arrival of some pilgrims who had come from one of the Soviet Republics, so the Shaikh wanted to speak to them and asked whether they had a translator. The group guide who was a Russian came forward but he did not know that the Shaikh [standing before him] was Shaikh ’Uthaimeen.
Once he had finished translating, the guide asked, ‘Who is this Shaikh?’ ‘That is Ibn ’Uthaimeen,’ he was told. [Upon hearing that] he hugged the Shaikh, kissing him and crying. And then he took the microphone and told the entire group of pilgrims that this is Shaikh ’Uthaimeen, and so tears started flowing from them all, and the guide kept calling out with the mic at the top of his voice, repeating the name of Shaikh Ibn ’Uthaimeen. And the individuals in the group started to give salaam to the Shaikh and kiss him [on his forehead].
The guide [then] said to the Shaikh, ‘These are your students. They used to read your books in the cellars underground during Communist rule.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 38.
’Uthaimeen, His Lecture, and the Broken Pipe in the Mosque Bathroom
February 7, 2014 § 1 Comment
“One time while the Shaikh was giving a lecture in the mosque next to his house one of the students went to the bathroom and found that a pipe was broken and leaking. He told the Shaikh about it during his lecture, and so the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, stopped his lecture and went home and brought some tools and himself joined in with the students to fix the leak.”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 43.
An Imaam’s Humility: ’Uthaimeen and The Car That Stalled
February 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
“Shaikh ’Uthaimeen and a brother who loved him [for the Sake of Allaah] got into an old car which would break down very often, and it stalled on the way. So the Shaikh said to the driver, ‘Stay where you are and I’ll get out to push it.’
So he got out and pushed it himself until it started up.”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 42.
The Steadfastness of an Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah: Ibn ’Uthaimeen at the End of a Tiring Journey
February 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
“This instance is narrated by The Shaikh, Dr. [Abu Anas] Hamad al-’Uthmaan from Kuwait, and he is one of the students of Shaikh ’Uthaimeen who accompanied him for more than five years. It shows the steadfastness of Shaikh ’Uthaimeen in worship and that he wouldn’t leave the night prayer even when travelling. What happened was that Shaikh Abu Anas Hamad al-’Uthmaan accompanied the Shaikh on a journey from ’Unaizah to Riyadh, and then they headed out to Makkah by car for ’Umrah. After they finished ’Umrah, everyone who was accompanying the Shaikh yielded to sleep due to how exhausted they were from their journey and the ’Umrah.
‘And I woke up,’ said Shaikh Hamad al-’Uthmaan, ‘half way through the night and lo and behold the Shaikh was standing in prayer. So I said to myself, ‘Yaa Subhaanallaah, I’m a youth who succumbed to sleep, and this is an elderly Shaikh who succumbed to prayer and worship.’ So I performed ablution and started to pray, following the example of the Shaikh. So I tried to fight off the drowsiness and overcome it but I wasn’t able to and sleep overcame me.
So I went to sleep and the Shaikh was there still praying.’”
Al-Jaami’ li-Hayaatil-’Allaamah Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaimeen, p. 39.
The Humility of an Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah: Ibn Baaz and The Thirteen Year Old Advisor
February 7, 2014 § 1 Comment
One time a young boy phoned Shaikh Ibn Baaz and said, “Eminent Shaikh, the people are in desperate need of scholars who will give them fatwas, I suggest that your excellency appoints a Mufti for every city so that it is easy to call him.” So the Shaikh said, “Maa Shaa Allaah, may Allaah put right all your affairs, how old are you?” “Thirteen,” he said. The person relating the story then said, “So His Eminence said to me, ‘This is a good suggestion which needs to be studied. Write to the Secretary-General of the Committee of Major Scholars about this.’ So I wrote what he dictated, part of which was, ‘Amma Ba’d, a sincere advisor called me and said that he suggests that a Mufti be placed in each city, and I hold that this should be put before the Permanent Committee so that we can exchange views on the topic …’”
Jawaanib min Seeratil-Imaam ’Abdul-’Aziz Ibn Baaz, p. 129.
Ibn Taymiyyah in Prison
December 11, 2013 § Leave a comment
The student of Ibn Taymiyyah, Imaam Ibn ’Abdul-Haadi, said, “He is the Shaikh, the Rabbaani Imaam, the Imaam of the Imaams, the Mufti of the Ummah, the Scholar of Multiple Fields of Knowledge, the Chief of the Memorisers, the Peerless [Scholar] of His Time, the Master of His Era, the Shaikh of Islaam, the Blessing of Mankind, the Sign of the Time, the Explainer of the Quraan, the Chief of the Ascetics, the Matchless Worshipper, the Subduer of Innovations, the Last of the Mujtahids—Taqiyud-Deen Abul-’Abbaas Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, ‘He finished reciting the Quraan eighty or eighty one times during the time he was in prison … everyday he would recite three Juzz, finishing [the Quraan] every ten days, thus did his brother Zainud-Deen inform me.’”
Al-’Uqood ad-Durriyah min Manaaqib Shaikhil-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, pp. 3 and 290.
Imaam Sa’dee and the Shivering Old Man
October 18, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Abdullah Aqeel said about his Shaikh, Imaam Sa’dee (d. 1956), “An eyewitness mentioned that on a winter’s day with heavy rain, our Shaikh saw an elderly man in the Jaami’ mosque shivering due to the severe cold and wearing worn-out clothes. When our Shaikh saw him in such a state he went behind a pillar so that no one would see him and took off one of his two thawbs, folded it and gave it to the man who then wore it, fended off the cold with it and who then supplicated for him.”
Ash-Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 18.
Shaikh Muqbil’s Daughter Talking About Her Father’s Humility
October 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Muqbil’s daughter said, “And he would say, ‘I’m neglectful,’ and, ‘I’m not pleased with myself,’ and he told us that after white hair started to appear on his beard he was pained at that, and said to himself, ‘What have you done for Islaam and the Muslims?’ And from his statements was, ‘We are ignorant [of some things], have knowledge [of others], we are correct and we make mistakes.’”
Nubdhah Mukhtasirah Min Nasaa’ih Waalidi al-Allaamah Muqbil ibn Haadi al-Waadi’i wa Seeratihi al-Atirah, pp. 28-31.
Imaam Sa’dee and the Blind Man’s Joke
October 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Abdullah Aqeel said about his Shaikh, Imaam Sa’dee (d. 1956), “He was asked one time at a large gathering about the ruling concerning a person seeing his intended wife before the nikaah so he answered stating that it was permissible and that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had instructed that. There was a blind man present and so he said, ‘What about us blind people, is it permissible for us to touch since we can’t see?’ So the Shaikh and those present laughed.”
[Imaam Sa’dee was also Shaikh Uthaimeen’s teacher, may Allaah have mercy on them all.]
Ash-Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 17.
The Master Reciter, The Shaikh of Islaam ’Abdullaah ibn Idrees [d. 192 ah]
February 25, 2013 § Leave a comment
Imaam adh-Dhahabi said, “’Abdullaah ibn Idrees ibn Yazeed ibn ’Abdur-Rahmaan, the Imaam, the Great Memoriser [Haafidh], the Master Reciter [Expert in the Dialects of the Quraan, Muqri’], the Exemplary, The Shaikh of Islaam, Abu Muhammad al-Awdi, al-Kufi [d. 192 ah] …
About him Hussain al-’Anqaziyy said, ‘When death came upon [’Abdullaah] Ibn Idrees, may Allaah have mercy on him, his daughter wept, so he said, “Don’t cry, O Daughter, for I have finished reciting the Quraan in this house four thousand times.’”
Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa, vol. 7, p. 499.
Umm Faatimah Zainab: Teacher of Ibn Kathir’s Mother-In-Law and His Wife, and the One Whose Questions Ibn Taymiyyah Would Prepare For
February 22, 2013 § Leave a comment
The great explainer of the Quraan, Imaam Ibn Kathir, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “And on the Day of ’Arafah did pass away the Shaikhah, the righteous one, the worshipper, the pious one: Umm Zainab Faatimah the daughter of ’Abbaas ibn Abil-Fath ibn Muhammad al-Baghdaadiyyah on the outskirts of Cairo, a huge number of people attended her funeral, and she was from the virtuous scholars, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil and standing against the Ahmadiyyah [a Sufi sect] and their association with women and boys, and she would refute their condition and the foundations of the people of innovations and others, and of that she would do what men were not able to.
And she used to attend the gatherings of the Shaikh [of Islaam] Taqiyuddin Ibn Taimiyyah and benefitted from him and others, and I heard Shaikh Taqiyuddin [i.e., Ibn Taymiyyah] praise her and describe her as having nobility and knowledge and he mentioned that she was able to recall [i.e., had memorised] much or most of Al-Mughni and that he [i.e., the Shaikh of Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah himself] would prepare for her due to the numerous matters [that she would discuss] and the excellent nature of her questions and the speed of her understanding, and she was the one who caused many women to finish memorising the Quraan, from them was my mother-in-law ’Aaishah bint Siddeeq the wife of the Shaikh Jamaalud-Deen al-Mizzee, and she is the one who taught her daughter, my wife, Amatur-Raheem Zainab, how to recite the Quraan, may Allaah have mercy on them all and be bountiful to them with His Mercy and His Paradise, Aameen.”
And As-Safadi said, “Faatimah the Daughter of ’Abbaas ibn Abil-Fath: the Shaikhah, the Female Scholar Capable of Giving Religious Verdicts [Muftiyyah], the Scholar of Fiqh [al-Faqeehah], the One Who Abstained from the Dunya [az-Zaahidah], the [Devoted] Worshipper [al-’Aabidah], Umm Zainab al-Baghdaadiyyah, al-Hanbaliyyah, the Admonisher.
She would ascend the minbar and exhort the women, and thus would they return [to righteousness] due to her admonition and leave off evil, groups of women benefitted from her exhortations and, after having been hard, their hearts softened towards obedience … and Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, would be amazed at her actions and would praise her intelligence, her devoutness [khushoo] and her crying.
More than one person related to me that Shaikh Taqiyuddin Ibn Taymiyyah said, ‘I remained concerned about an issue related to her for she ascends the minbar [to exhort the women] and I wanted to prevent her, so I fell asleep one night and I saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a dream and so I asked him about her, and he replied, ‘A righteous woman,’ or he said something similar …’
And she, may Allaah the Most High have mercy on her, passed away on the Day of ’Arafah in the year 714 ah [1314ce].”
Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah of Ibn Kathir, vol. 14, p. 82 and A’yaanul-Asr wa A’waanun-Nasr of as-Safadi, vol. 4, p. 28.
The Last of The Companions to Die
February 5, 2013 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him said, “The last of all of the Companions to die was ’Aamir ibn Waathilah al-Laithi in the year 110 AH. The last of them to die in Medinah was Mahmood ibn ar-Rabi’ in 99 AH. In Damascus, Syria, the last of them to die was Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ in 86 AH. The last of them to pass away in Basrah was Anas ibn Maalik in 93 AH. In Homs it was ’Abdullaah ibn Busr al-Maazini in 98 AH; in Kufah, ’Abdullaah ibn Abi Awfaa al-Aslami in 87 AH and the last of them to pass away in Egypt was ’Abdullaah ibn al-Haarith in 89 AH.” [May Allaah be pleased with them all]
Mustalah al-Hadith, p. 55.
Ibn Baaz … “Before His Death He Woke Up From Sleep …”
May 14, 2012 § 1 Comment
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz said, “Before his death he woke up from sleep and performed ablution and spread out his prayer mat and started to say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah’ and ‘Allaahu Akbar,’ and then he tried to go back to sleep again but he felt some difficulty in breathing so we called an ambulance and while we were taking him to the hospital, he died on the way, and we praise Allaah for his Pre-Decree and its execution [al-Qadar wal-Qadaa].”
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 119
Ibn Baaz Angry
March 24, 2012 § Leave a comment
Shaikh Raashid ibn Uthmaan az-Zahraani said, “A student asked the Shaikh about giving precedence to the saying of a Companion or a student of a Companion over that of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. So the Shaikh became angry at that statement and struck his head with his hand saying, ‘O so and so! You have to place the sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on your head [i.e., give precedence to it]!’ Then after a while the Shaikh called that person and said, ‘You must free me from that [i.e., the fact that I became angry, i.e., don’t hold it against me], for I did not say that except out of eagerness to establish the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.'”
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 229.
Can Someone Reach the Limits of Knowledge?
March 10, 2012 § Leave a comment
Sa’d ad-Duwaad said, “One of Ibn Baaz’s students asked him whether a person can reach the limits of knowledge. So he said, ‘No, by Allaah, if the Companions were alive they would have carried on seeking knowledge until death and if the Shaikh of Islaam [Ibn Taymiyyah] was alive he would have continued to seek knowledge. And he [i.e., Ibn Baaz], may Allaah have mercy on him, used to find pleasure in his books, [i.e.,] when they were read to him [him being blind].'”
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 175.
Ibn Baaz and the Man who Said He Saw the Prophet In a Dream
March 6, 2012 § Leave a comment
Dr. Muhammad ibn Sa’d ash-Shuwai’ir said, “A man came who wanted to meet his eminence the Shaikh during one of his regular open sittings after maghrib, so we said to him, ‘You want to speak to him in the sitting?’ He said, ‘No, in private.’ When we told the Shaikh, he said, ‘Let him come.’ He did so and said to the Shaikh, ‘I saw a dream.’ So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘And what was it?’
He said, ‘I saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and so said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! I have a problem!’ So he said, ‘Ask Shaikh Ibn Baaz and he will solve it for you!”
So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘Write this problem down for us, and what is it [anyway]?’ So the man said, ‘My problem is that I don’t have a residency permit [iqaamah] and I want one and I want you to find work for me!’
So the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, started laughing and said, ‘Bring a reference from someone, we fear that you did not really see the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.’
So the Shaikh did not reject him despite his lie and deception, and that man never did come back because he never found anyone who would attest to his lie.”
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 171.
King Faisal, Ibn Baaz and the Mansion
February 27, 2012 § Leave a comment
Dr. Naasir ibn Misfir az-Zahrani said, “One of these well-known, captivating stories about his eminence [Ibn Baaz] occurred in Medinah al-Munawwarah when he was the President of the Islamic University. King Faisal, may Allaah have mercy on him, visited him and ordered that a mansion/villa be built for his eminence which would be commensurate with his scholarly, religious and social standing. After it was built they came to the Shaikh to transfer the deeds to his name, but he refused and [instead] said that, ‘The villa will stay registered in the name of the President of the Islamic University, whoever becomes the head of the university, the villa will be his residence.’”
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 143.
Ibn Baaz Joking
February 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
Fahd al-Bakraan said, “A funny situation which showed his humbleness and joviality, may Allaah have mercy on him, was when we were with his eminence [i.e., Ibn Baaz], may Allaah have mercy on him, and another one of the major scholars.
We were coming out of the Office for Religious Verdicts in [the city of] Taif, so his eminence, may Allaah have mercy on him, was joking with that other Shaikh, saying, ‘O Shaikh so and so, are you still only with one?’ i.e., only one wife? That Shaikh replied saying, ‘Yes.’ So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘Why haven’t you taken more than one … you scared of her?’ and the Shaikh started laughing and so did we.
Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 132.
Gifts of Knowledge 