Dr. Sa`d ibn `Abdullah Al Humayyid

Autobiography

Sa`d ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abdul-`Aziz Al Humayd

First – My origin and country:

- My name is Sa`d ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abdul-`Aziz ibn Sulayman ibn `Abdul-`Aziz ibn Sulayman ibn Muhammad ibn `Abdul-`Aziz ibn Humayd.
- My lineage traces back to Al Wahbah of Banu Handhalah from Tamim tribe.

- I was born in 1374 AH in Al Ta'if when my family was spending the summer there.
My homeland is Ushayqir Governorate that is 200 km west of Riyadh.

Second – My studies and work:

1 – I received my education in Riyadh. Having finished my medium education, I joined the Secondary Royal Technical Institute, department of electricity where I finished my education. Afterwards, I worked at the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, but I did not like that specialty, so I joined a night-high-school for three years. I became a student in the Islamic University of Imam Muhammad ibn Sa`ud, Faculty of Usul-ud-Din as a delegated student by the Religious Affairs Department in the Ministry of Defense. My relationship with the ministry has broken-up since my second grade of college and I became a full-time student.

2 - In that time, I used to deliver Khutbah (a religious sermon) in the Sewidy district Masjid in Riyadh. This took place at the end of 1400 AH and the early beginning of 1401 AH.

3 - In 1402 AH, I finished my university education.

4 - In 1403 AH, I joined the Ministry of Justice as a Shar`y researcher in the department of legal researches. In the same time enrolled in the higher education studies, department of Sunnah and its related sciences in Usul-ul-Din College, Riyadh, and I finished the study of methodological Sunnah.

5 - In 1404 AH, I registered for Masters in verifying the second volume of "Ikhtisar Istidrak Al Hafizh Al Dhahaby `ala Mustadrak Abu `Abdullah Al Hakim" by Ibn Al Mulaqin, under the supervision of Prof. Sheikh/ Ahmad Mi`bid `Abdul-Karim. I finished my Masters at the end of 1406 AH, and was put into discussion in 1407 AH and now, it is printed.

6 - In 1408 AH, the approval of Usul-ud-Din College was given on my PhD thesis titled "Sa`id ibn Mansur and his book (Al Sunnan), a study and verification from Al Fatihah and the virtues of the Qur'an until the end of Surah Al Ma'idah". Professor `Abdul-Mon`im Sayed Najm was the supervisor of this thesis which I finished in 1412 AH and was put into discussion in 1413 AH.

7 - In the beginning of 1409 AH, I was appointed as a teaching assistant in King Sa`ud University, Riyadh, College of Education, Department of Islamic Studies.

8 – After I had finished my PhD in 1413 AH, I was appointed as an assistant Professor in department of Islamic Studies.

9 – I broke away from work in the university between 1416 AH and 1422 AH for reasons beyond my control.

10 - In 1427 AH, I was promoted to the position of associate professor, and still occupying that position until now.

Third: Seeking knowledge

1 – First, I started seeking knowledge through the known regular ways in schools as above-mentioned.

2 – As for seeking knowledge outside school system, I started on the age of eighteen when I started to memorize the Qur'an at the hand of my father (may Allah be Merciful to him) who was one of the best memorizers. He was the Imam for Awqaf (Endowments) in `Utayqah Masjid, Riyadh. My father died at the end of 1394 AH when I had just nine chapters to finish memorizing the whole volume of the Qur'an because of his sickness. He was paralyzed for two years and I had to take responsibility of the study as well as my family because I was the only male child.

I benefited from my father in the sciences he was good at such as any ordinary knowledge seekers at that time. He has memorized some old texts such as Al Ajurrumiyyah and Al Rahbiyyah. He also had some information about parsing, knew how to distribute inheritance and had acceptable knowledge about faith and Fiqh.

3 - I had the honor to get to know scholar `Abdullah ibn `Abdur-Rahman Al Jibreen (may Allah protect him) in 1393 AH. I started to take knowledge from him (may Allah reward him the best). I accompanied him for a while and used to go to him in the Masjid of which he was the imam. The Masjid was located in Dukhnah, west of Imam Al Da`wah Institute, in the center of Riyadh, beside the home of Sheikh `Abdur-Rahman Al Dosary (may Allah be Merciful to him). The location of the Masjid was later turned into a parking along the street of Al Rayyis to the Supreme Court. At that time, I was a student at the Royal Technical Institute. Our study duration lasted from morning to afternoon after lunch. After school and before going home, I used to go to the Sheikh. I did not have a car in the first two years of seeking knowledge at the hand of the Sheikh.

4 – I stopped attending the Sheikh's lectures in 1395 AH for some family and social reasons then I continued my study with him in 1499 AH until now, (may Allah protect him and preserve his knowledge).

5 – I started to attend the lectures of Sheikh `Abdul-`Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah be Merciful to him) from 1398 to 1404 AH. All people who knew the Sheikh realized the benefits gained from sitting with him whether in knowledge or moral scale by which he was characterized, especially between him and Allah or between him and people such as devoutness to Allah, revering the Sunnah, sticking to the truth, advising and benefiting people, loving good for them and so on.

6 - Sheikh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah be Merciful to him) used to come to Riyadh, so some friends and I were keen to meet him at the Masjid near his brother's home near the new Al Shimisy st. We used to ask him questions and discuss issues with him. We loved him very much because of his large-heartedness and good listening to our questions and discussions. So, I went to him with some brothers in the summer of 1399 AH where we stayed there for a while seeking his morning and evening lectures. In that year, the Sheikh started to explain the book of Zad Al Mustaqna` where we attended the first few lectures. The book was later printed under the name of "Al Sharh Al Mumti`". We spent one Ramadan with him during which we have seen many of his good morals.

Of which, he made us join his breakfast and pre-dawn meal.

After my return to Riyadh, I kept good relations with him on the phone when things pop up before me. He used to answer the phone very often but the case has changed when he had not enough time.

7 – Of the Sheikhs whom I accompanied and benefited from were: Sheikh `Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Qa`ud (may Allah be Merciful to him) where his residence was close to mine, therefore, I used to meet him a lot, exchange visits with him and attend his faithful sessions which were full of scientific debates, truly, I yearn to those ones!

8 – Of the Sheikhs from whom I benefited very much was Sheikh Muhammad Nasir Al Din Al Albany (may Allah be Merciful to him and grant him Paradise). I used to listen to his tapes, taking out notes from his verifications, explanations to Hadith as well as his scientific grounding to the issues. My friends and I were keen to meet him in 1399 AH after we had visited Sheikh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymin, but unfortunately, we did not. I met him in Madinah in 1403 AH in the book fair that took place in the Islamic University, but he did not have the time to sit with me. He had a tremble in head that made him often look right and left. I met him in the summer of 1410 AH and attended some of his useful scientific sessions with some friends such as Sheikh Muhammad Al Dado Al Shanqity, Sheikh Muhammad `Umar Basmol, Sheikh `Ayid Al Qarny; where he delivered a poem praising the Sheikh. Later on, that lecture was popular among the knowledge seekers.

The Sheikh (may Allah be Merciful to him) has honored the people of Riyadh with his generous visit when he came with his family. We enjoyed and benefited a lot from his lectures and knowledge. He also honored me when he paid me a visit in my home as I invited Sheikh Hamoud ibn `Abdullah Al Tuwajry (may Allah be Merciful to him) and that was their first meeting together. Sheikh Hamoud invited him to his house and the Sheikh has accepted the invitation and had breakfast with him the next day. We were invited too to that session which was attended by some respected sheikhs such as Sheikh Nasser Al-`Umur as well as the children and the brothers of Sheikh `Abdullah ibn Hamoud Al Tuwajry. Sheikh `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud invited him also and that session was full of benefits like all his other sessions.

9 – Of those sheikhs whom I sought knowledge was Sheikh `Abdullah ibn Jarullah (may Allah be Merciful to him) but the educational benefit was much higher than the scientific one, where he was known for that.

10 – Of my sheikhs from whom I benefited a lot was Sheikh `Abdur-Rahman Al Jabir Al Barak (may Allah protect him) who was the teacher of `Aqidah (creed) in Usul-ud-Din College. I still have good connection with him until now to utilize from his knowledge, opinions and consultations, may Allah reward him the best.

11 – Of the sheikhs from whom I benefited was Dr. Ahmad Mi`bid `Abdul-Karim (may Allah protect him) who taught us some issues related to Hadith, at the fourth year of college, and the methodology of Hadith as a preparation to Masters. He supervised my Masters and took part in the discussion of my PhD thesis and I still keep good relations with him, may Allah reward him the best.

There were many sheikhs from whom I benefited much in my study but there is no room to mention them all.

Four – The Scientific output:

1 – Verification of the second volume of "Mukhtasar Istidrak Al Dhahaby `ala Mustadrak Abu `Abdullah Al Hakim" which was the thesis of my Masters which was printed along with the first volume by Al `Asimah Print House in Riyadh, 1411 AH.

2 – Verification of "Sunan Sa`id ibn Mansur" as a part of my PhD thesis. Another part was published and the rest will be finished soon, with Allah's will. It was printed by Al Simi`y Print House in Riyadh, 1414 AH. The other part was printed in 1417 AH.

3 – Verification of "Musnad `Abdullah ibn Abu Awfa" by Yahya ibn Sa`id; a printed Hadith part by Al Rushd Library in Riyadh, 1408 AH.

4 – Verification of "Al Imam fi Ma`rifat Ahadith Al Ahkam" by Ibn Daqiq Al-`Eid in four volumes. It was printed by Al Muhaqaq Print House in Riyadh, 1420 AH.

5 – Verification of "Gharar Al Fawa'id Al Majmu`ah fi ma waqa` fi Sahih Muslim min Al Ahadith Al Maqtu`ah" by Al Rashid Al `Attar. It was printed by Al Ma`arif Library in 1421 AH.

6 - "Adab Al Ghiza' fi Al Islam", a short letter, published by Al Simi`y Print House in Riyadh, 1416 AH adopted from a research that I submitted in the Second Saudi Symposium for food and nutrition, set up by the Faculty of Agriculture, King Sa`ud University, Riyadh, from 4 to 7 Jumada II 1415 AH. It was published in the releases of this Colloquium (p. 21-46).

7 - "Hukm Sawm Yawm Al Sabt", it was printed by Al Tawhid Print House for publications in 1426 AH.

8 - "Hukm Al Shurb Qa'ima" it was printed by Al Tawhid Print House for publications in 1426 AH.

9 – Verification of some Hadiths that Al Bukhari (may Allah be Merciful to him) included in his Sahih which Al Hafizh Al Daraqutny explained their problematic side. it was printed by Al Simi`y Print House in 1427 AH.

10 – Verification of the second volume of "Al I`tisam" by Al Shatiby which Dr. Muhammad Al Shaqir verified its first volume, where Dr. Hisham Al Siny verified its third volume. Ibn Al Jawzy Print House in Al Dammam will publish it and it is expected to be issued in the next few days.

11 – Supervising and participation in the verification of "Kitab Al-`Ilal" by Ibn Abu Hatim Al Razi. The book was printed in 1427 AH.

12 - Supervising and participation in the verification of "Su`alat Al Silmy Lil-Daraqutny". The book was printed in 1427 AH.

13 - Supervising and participation in verifying part of the twenty fist volume of "Mu`jam Al Tabarany Al Kabir". The book was printed in 1427 AH.

14 - Supervising and participation in the verification of the thirteenth and fourteenth volumes of "Mu`jam Al Tabarany Al Kabir" which will be published soon, with the Will of Allah.

15 - Supervising and participation in the verification of "Afat Ahlul-Hadith" by Ibn Al Jawzy which will be published soon, with the Will of Allah.

I ask Allah, the Almighty, with His Beautiful Names and High Attributes to make actions solely for His Sake and to be an argument to support us not against. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad.

Personal Website of Dr. Sheikh/ Sa`d ibn `Abdullah Al Humayd, King Sa`ud University.