Saad al-Shathri
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Saad al-Shathri is a contemporary Saudi scholar, jurist, and specialist in Islamic legal theory who has served on the Council of Senior Scholars and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta.
Background and Education
His full name is Saad ibn Nasir ibn Abd al-Aziz Abu Habib al-Shathri. He was raised in an established family of religious scholars spanning multiple generations, and he memorized the Quran. He pursued his higher education at the College of Sharia in Riyadh at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, where he completed his undergraduate studies. He subsequently earned his master's degree with a thesis titled al-Tafriq bayn al-Usul wal-Furu (Differentiating Between Foundations and Subsidiary Branches) and obtained his doctorate in Islamic legal theory (usul al-fiqh) in 1417 AH (1996/1997 CE) with a dissertation titled al-Qat wal-Zann inda al-Usuliyyin (Certainty and Conjecture Among Legal Theorists).
Al-Shathri studied under several prominent Saudi scholars, notably Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Abd al-Aziz Al al-Shaykh, Salih al-Atram, and Abd Allah al-Rukban.
Career and Scholarly Activity
Al-Shathri joined the faculty of the College of Sharia in Riyadh, advancing to associate professor and teaching courses in legal theory (usul al-fiqh), legal maxims (al-qawaid al-fiqhiyya), and the higher objectives of Islamic law (maqasid al-sharia). He later taught as a professor at the College of Law and Political Science at King Saud University.
In addition to university teaching, he was appointed to the Council of Senior Scholars and served as a member of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, where he participated in issuing official legal rulings. He was later relieved of his membership in the Council of Senior Scholars following public controversy. His academic contributions include supervising and examining graduate theses, reviewing scholarly research for conferences and journals, and conducting regular educational courses and lessons in mosques. Among his specialized writings are al-Musabaqat wa-Ahkamuha fi al-Sharia al-Islamiyya (Competitions and Their Rulings in Islamic Law) and al-Qawaid al-Usuliyya wal-Fiqhiyya al-Mutaalliqa bil-Muslim Ghayr al-Mujtahid (Legal Theoretical and Jurisprudential Maxims Pertaining to the Non-Mujtahid Muslim).
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List of Works
This contemporary commentary examines Bakr Abu Zayd's ethical treatise on the manners, pedagogical principles, and behavioral pitfalls of students of Islamic law. Proceeding clause by clause, it clarifies the original prose with supporting textual proofs and addresses the practical conduct, duties, and contemporary challenges faced by seekers of knowledge.
This treatise on Islamic jurisprudence and legal theory identifies the principles of legal theory (usul al-fiqh) and legal maxims (al-qawaid al-fiqhiyya) that apply directly to ordinary Muslims who have not attained the rank of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). It addresses practical guidance for non-specialists, including those navigating contemporary environments and soliciting legal rulings.