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Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Ghunayman

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Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Ghunayman (b. 1352 AH / 1933–1934 CE) is a Saudi Islamic scholar, theologian, and former head of postgraduate studies at the Islamic University of Madinah, recognized for his writings and lectures on Sunni creed and theology .

Early life and education

Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Ghunayman was born in 1352 AH in the town of al-Shamasiyyah in the Al-Qassim Province . He memorized the Quran during his youth and studied under local scholars in al-Qasim, including Muhammad ibn Salih al-Mutawwa' . He entered the newly established Saudi state school in al-Shamasiyyah, though he did not complete his schooling there before relocating to Riyadh .

In Riyadh, al-Ghunayman studied under Abd al-Aziz al-Murshid for seven years, reading Kitab al-Tawhid by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab multiple times, along with works by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya and various Najdi scholars . In 1377 AH, he returned to al-Qasim and enrolled in the Scientific Institute in Buraidah, graduating in 1382 AH . He then returned to Riyadh to attend the College of Sharia, resuming his studies with Abd al-Aziz al-Murshid alongside his formal university coursework, and completed his degree in 1386 AH .

Academic career and teaching

Upon graduation in 1386 AH, al-Ghunayman was nominated to a judicial post by the Grand Mufti Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh, but declined the appointment out of religious scrupulousness . In 1387 AH, by order of the Grand Mufti, he was appointed to teach at the secondary institute of the Islamic University of Madinah, where he served for two years .

He was subsequently transferred to the faculty of the College of Sharia at the Islamic University of Madinah to teach legal sciences, and also lectured in the College of Dawah . Al-Ghunayman became head of the Department of Creed within the university's higher studies division and later served as head of the entire Department of Postgraduate Studies, supervising and evaluating numerous master's and doctoral theses . Alongside his university tenure, he delivered regular public lessons at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah over a ten-year period between 1405 AH and 1415 AH, teaching major texts including Al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya and Sunan Abi Dawud . Following his retirement from the university, he moved back to Buraidah in al-Qasim, where he continued teaching in local mosques and answering legal and theological questions .

Scholarly profile

Al-Ghunayman is noted for his focus on Sunni theological methodology, the works of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the theological treatises of Ibn Taymiyya, and the legacy of the Najdi reform movement . His scholarly approach combined scriptural textual proofs with rational arguments in evaluating theological disputes . Among his published contributions is his extensive commentary on the final section of Sahih al-Bukhari, titled Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid min Sahih al-Bukhari (Commentary on the Book of Monotheism from Sahih al-Bukhari), and an abridgment of Ibn Taymiyya's polemical work Minhaj al-Sunna al-Nabawiyya .

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List of Works

  • Awwal Wajib ala al-Mukallaf Ibadat Allah Taala Wuduh Dhalik min Kitab Allah wa Dawat al-Rusul

    This theological treatise examines the creedal issue of the primary religious duty incumbent upon a legally accountable individual (al-mukallaf). Drawing on the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the early generations (al-salaf), the work argues that this first obligation is the direct worship of God and the affirmation of monotheism (tawhid), refuting dialectical and scholastic theological positions.

  • Sharh al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya - al-Ghunayman

    This contemporary theological commentary explains the classic Sunni creedal treatise Al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya by Ibn Taymiyya. The work provides an exposition of core principles concerning the creed of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a, focusing particularly on divine names and attributes through an analysis of the scriptural passages cited in the base text.

  • al-Manhaj al-Sahih

    This treatise on Islamic theological methodology and creed articulates the foundational principles of the method (manhaj) of the early Muslim scholars (al-Salaf al-Salih) and Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah. It details the framework for adhering strictly to scriptural texts in matters of belief and conduct, prioritizing revelation over speculative theology.

  • Sharh Fath al-Majid lil-Ghunayman

    This extensive theological commentary explains Fath al-Majid, the classical creedal work by Abd al-Rahman ibn Hasan Al al-Shaykh. Following the thematic arrangement of the base text, it elucidates the foundational doctrines of Islamic monotheism (tawhid) and their scriptural justifications from the Quran and Prophetic Sunnah.

  • Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid min Sahih al-Bukhari - al-Ghunayman

    This two-volume theological commentary focuses on Kitab al-Tawhid, the concluding book of Sahih al-Bukhari. Structured around al-Bukhari's original chapter headings, Quranic verses, and prophetic traditions, the work provides an exposition adhering to the creed of the Salaf regarding God's names and attributes while refuting interpretations rooted in dialectical theology.