Abd Allah Hammad al-Rassi
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Abu Hammad Abd Allah ibn Hammad al-Rassi (1308–1386 AH / 1890–1966 CE) was a Saudi religious scholar, ascetic, and judge from the town of al-Rass . He was noted for his strict devotion to Islamic practices and his service as an advisor and judicial official .
Biography and Career
Abd Allah ibn Hammad al-Rassi was born in 1308 AH (1890–1891 CE) into the al-Qublan family in al-Rass . In his early years, he supported the Bedouin Ikhwan movement prior to their rebellion against King Abd al-Aziz and their subsequent defeat at the Battle of al-Sabalah in 1347 AH (1929 CE) . He adopted their style of dress, consistently wearing a turban underneath his headcloth out of the conviction that doing so was an established Sunnah . He was later appointed as a religious guide (murshid) and judge (qadi) .
Al-Rassi subsequently resided in northern Buraidah . The historian Muhammad ibn Nasir al-Ubudi, who knew him personally, noted his asceticism (zuhd) and rigid adherence to his religious views, which gave rise to the local idiom yu'yi al-Rassi ("the Rassi refuses") regarding his uncompromising stances . Holding that communal Tarawih prayers in the mosque were not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ, he opted to perform night prayers (qiyam) at home, where he led the members of his household in prayer while reciting aloud .
He was described by the chronicler Ibrahim al-Ubayyid as short, fair-skinned, and heavy-set, with rough hands and feet, and reddened eyes from extensive reading and weeping out of piety . Al-Ubayyid recorded his death in 1386 AH (1966–1967 CE) , whereas al-Ubudi dated his passing to 1387 AH (1967–1968 CE) .
A later preacher of the same family, Abd Allah ibn Hammad ibn Ibrahim al-Rassi, served as the imam of the al-Ghudhayyah Mosque in Manfuhah in Riyadh .
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List of Works
Durus li al-Shaykh Abd Allah Hammad al-Rassi is a compilation of religious teachings, instructional lectures, and exhortations. The work focuses on foundational Islamic sciences, emphasizing adherence to the Sunnah, creed (aqidah), jurisprudence (fiqh), and moral and spiritual guidance intended for both students of knowledge and general audiences.