Muhammad bin Nasir al-Abbudi
- Died
- 1443 AH
- Born in
- Buraydah
Muhammad bin Nasir al-Abbudi (d. 1443 AH / 2022 CE) was a Saudi scholar, institutional official, and prolific traveler from Buraydah, known for his extensive travel accounts and lexical studies .
Background and Career
Al-Abbudi belonged to the al-Abbudi branch of the Al Salim family of Buraydah; his full lineage traces back to Muhammad ibn Nasir ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Karim ibn Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abbud . He began his administrative career in education, serving as the director of the Scientific Institute in Buraydah . Following the founding of the Islamic University of Madinah in 1381 AH, he served as its secretary-general for twelve years and was subsequently appointed as its vice president in 1393 AH .
By royal order in 1403 AH, he transferred to the Muslim World League, where he served as assistant secretary-general and worked on its cultural committee evaluating publications and organizing cultural programs .
Travels and Scholarly Contributions
Throughout his tenure in Islamic institutional work, al-Abbudi traveled widely across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas to assess the conditions of Muslim communities and minorities, recording his observations across numerous travelogues and conferences . His extensive journeys earned him the epithet "dean of travelers" ('amīd al-raḥḥālīn) in a biographical monograph by Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mushawwah .
Alongside his travel memoirs, al-Abbudi dedicated significant research to regional dialects, history, and genealogy. Among his major lexical projects was his thirteen-volume dictionary Mu'jam al-Usul al-Fasiha lil-Alfaz al-Darijah, examining the classical Arabic roots of vernacular words . He also compiled Mu'jam Usar Buraydah, a multi-volume biographical and genealogical survey documenting the lineages and prominent figures of his home region .
Standing and Legacy
Al-Abbudi received wide acclaim from contemporary scholars and poets, including panegyrics from figures such as the Mauritanian poet Muhammad Fal ibn al-Husayn . In Buraydah, a secondary school and a street were officially named after him, and the municipal administration established the Sheikh Muhammad bin Nasir al-Abbudi Cultural Center in recognition of his contributions .
Al-Abbudi died in 1443 AH (2022 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Mujam Usar Buraydah (The Dictionary of the Families of Buraydah) is an encyclopedic genealogical and biographical work documenting the lineages, local history, and prominent figures of the families of Buraydah in the al-Qassim region.
Dhikrayati fi Ifriqiya (My Memories in Africa) is a travel memoir and published lecture examining the conditions of Islam and Muslim communities in sub-Saharan Africa.