Abd al-Muhsin al-Zamil
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Abd al-Muhsin al-Zamil (b. 1380 AH / 1960 CE) is a Saudi scholar and jurist based in Riyadh, known for his teaching in Islamic jurisprudence and legal maxims, including his commentary Sharh al-Qawaid al-Saadiyya.
Early life and education
Abd al-Muhsin ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Karim al-Zamil was born in 1380 AH in the town of Sudayr. He began his elementary education in traditional Quranic schools (kuttab) before pursuing formal schooling. He earned a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies from the College of Education at King Saud University. Outside academic institutions, he was employed in the Guidance Affairs Administration of Public Security.
Teachers and scholarly activity
Al-Zamil began seeking religious knowledge while in intermediate school, attending his first scholarly lesson under Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz prior to 1398 AH. He received instruction from his father, Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Karim al-Zamil, reading various chapters of Hanbali jurisprudence with him and studying the foundational principles of the school. He remained a regular student of Ibn Baz for approximately fifteen years, reading portions of Sunan al-Tirmidhi and parts of Muwatta Malik under him. He also studied for about two years under Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Humayd, and attended the lessons of Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Jibreen alongside other scholars in various disciplines.
Al-Zamil held regular teaching circles at the Mosque of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya in the Sultana district of Riyadh, where he taught works in Hadith, creed, jurisprudence, and legal theory, including Sunan Abi Dawud, Umdat al-Fiqh, and Mukhtasar al-Tahrir. He also participated in summer intensive courses. In his pedagogical approach, he emphasized examining the preponderant legal opinion (al-qawl al-rajih) alongside its scriptural evidence while presenting recognized scholarly disagreements without sectarian rigidity. His commentary Sharh al-Qawaid al-Saadiyya, which addresses legal maxims, originated as a lecture series delivered at the Mosque of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya in 1415 AH before being transcribed, edited, and published in 1422 AH (2001 CE).
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List of Works
Sharh al-Qawaid al-Saadiyya (Commentary on the Sa'dian Legal Maxims) is a contemporary treatise on legal maxims (al-qawa'id al-fiqhiyya) that comments on the treatise al-Qawaid wa-l-Usul al-Jamia by Abd al-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Sa'di.