Ibn Baaz’s Teacher’s Humility, Shaikh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm. Compare it to Today’s Juhhāl who Don’t Mind Having Titles They Don’t Deserve Before Their Names
May 17, 2024 § Leave a comment
The Muftī of Saudi Arabia before Ibn Baaz was Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm, may Allaah have mercy on them both. Shaikh Ḥamad al-Farhūd said about him:
“I accompanied him for more than eighteen years and never once did I hear him refer to himself as ‘Shaikh’ or ‘Mufti,’ … when he would mention his [own] name he would mention it without any titles, except for one time only. And that was when he hosted a dignitary from the Gulf who was a good man. So he wanted me to call the hotel so that he [could speak to them and] make a reservation for the guest [from the Gulf]. When he spoke to the receptionist, who was Egyptian [and he asked for his name], he told him, ‘Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm,’ but he never recognised him. So he said, ‘Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm Āl ash-Shaikh,’ but he still didn’t recognise him. So he repeated it a number of times but with the same result. So then he said, ‘The Mufti [of Saudi Arabia].’ Then when he ended the call he said, ‘May Allaah grant him guidance, he forced me to say that word [i.e., Mufti’].’”
Sīrah Samāḥatish-Shaikh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm, p. 23.
“Who am I? And What am I?!” said Imaam Ahmad
December 16, 2011 § 2 Comments
“A man said, ‘I saw signs of grief on Abu Abdullah’s face [i.e., Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal] because someone had praised him.’ And [another time] it was said to him, ‘May Allaah reward you with good on behalf of Islaam.’ So he said, ‘Rather, may Allaah reward Islaam well on behalf of me. Who am I? And what am I?!’”
Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa, v. 11, p. 225.
Gifts of Knowledge 