Abd al-Wahhab Abu Sulayman
- Died
- 1444 AH
- Born in
- Mecca
Abd al-Wahhab Abu Sulayman (1356–1444 AH / 1937–2023 CE) was a Saudi jurist, professor of Islamic jurisprudence and legal theory at Umm al-Qura University, and member of the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia.
Early Life and Education
Abd al-Wahhab ibn Ibrahim Abu Sulayman was born in the month of Muharram 1356 AH in Mecca. He received his primary education at Dar al-Aytam in Mecca, graduating in 1369 AH, before enrolling at al-Ma'had al-Ilmi al-Saudi, where he completed his secondary studies in 1373 AH. He then pursued higher studies at the College of Sharia in Mecca, earning his bachelor's degree in 1377 AH. Abu Sulayman also studied traditional religious sciences under the scholars of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, most notably Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Mashat, alongside peers such as Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki.
In 1382 AH (1962 CE), he obtained a diploma in teacher education following a summer program at the American University of Beirut. In 1385 AH, he was sent on a scholarship to the United Kingdom, where he enrolled at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He earned a diploma in English law and legal studies from the City of London College and completed his doctorate in comparative law and Islamic jurisprudence at the University of London in Shawwal 1390 AH (1970 CE).
Academic Career and Public Offices
Abu Sulayman began his professional career in 1378 AH teaching jurisprudence and creed at Khalid ibn al-Walid Intermediate School in Mecca, and concurrently taught religious subjects and instructional methods at the Night Teachers' Institute. In 1384 AH, he was appointed a teaching assistant at the College of Sharia in Mecca. Upon returning with his doctorate in Shawwal 1390 AH, he became an assistant professor at the College of Sharia at King Abdulaziz University (later Umm al-Qura University) in Mecca. He was appointed dean of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies in 1391 AH, serving until 1393 AH, and was awarded the university's First Class Appreciation Medal for his administrative work.
He was promoted to associate professor in 1398 AH and attained full professorship in jurisprudence and legal theory in 1403 AH. On 6 Jumada al-Akhira 1413 AH, he was appointed to the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars. He also served on university promotion committees and presented specialized legal research to the Islamic Fiqh Academy and international scholarly conferences.
Scholarly Contributions and Recognition
Abu Sulayman's scholarship focused on comparative Islamic law, legal theory, and academic methodology. In 1401 AH, he co-edited and published the critical edition of Majallat al-Ahkam al-Shar'iyya, a codification of Hanbali law, alongside Muhammad Ibrahim Ahmad Ali. He authored Kitabat al-Bahth al-Ilmi: Siyagha Jadida (Writing Academic Research: A New Formulation), a comprehensive guide on modern research standards and thesis preparation for graduate students. In the study Khasais al-Tafkir al-Fiqhi inda al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, he analyzed the legal thought and reformist jurisprudential methodology of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. In recognition of his scholarly service, he was awarded the King Abdulaziz Sash of the Second Class. He died in 1444 AH.
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List of Works
Khasais al-Tafkir al-Fiqhi inda al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (Characteristics of Jurisprudential Thinking in Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab) is an academic research study published within the first volume of the collected papers of the Symposium on the Call of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It examines the legal methodology and reformist legal thought of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, exploring the intellectual features of his legal trajectory and clarifying the nature of his legal and legislative reform through inductive and deductive analysis.
Kitabat al-Bahth al-Ilmi Siyagha Jadida (Writing Academic Research: A New Formulation) is an academic manual on research methodology and thesis preparation written for university and graduate students. Published as an independent title in 1408 AH after being separated from an earlier combined guide on research and sources of Islamic studies, it provides systematic guidance across the stages of academic research, including fundamental principles, note-taking and source preparation, drafting and writing, and final technical formatting and defense criteria.
Inayat al-Muslimin bil-Waqf Khidma lil-Quran al-Karim (Muslims' Care for Endowments in Service of the Noble Quran) is a scholarly treatise examining the historical role and legal framework of charitable endowments (waqf) dedicated to preserving and teaching the Quran. Originally prepared for a 1421 AH symposium in Medina, the work explores how the institution of waqf served as a financial mechanism ensuring the continuity of Quranic education, facilities, reciters, and teachers, analyzing representative historical and contemporary models.