Sulayman bin Abd Allah Al al-Shaykh
- Died
- 1233 AH
- Born in
- Diriyah
Sulayman bin Abd Allah Al al-Shaykh (1200–1233 AH / 1785–1818 CE) was a Najdi Hanbali jurist, hadith scholar, and judge from al-Dir'iyyah, recognized for his theological writings and hadith expertise.
Lineage and Early Life
His full lineage is Sulayman ibn Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab al-Musharraffi al-Wahbi al-Tamimi. He was born in al-Dir'iyyah in 1200 AH (another report dates his birth to 1205 AH) during the late life of his grandfather Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Raised in a prominent scholarly family, he memorized the Quran in his youth and pursued religious education with the scholars residing in al-Dir'iyyah.
Education and Teaching
He studied under his father Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, as well as Hamad ibn Nasir ibn Mu'ammar, Abd Allah ibn Fadil, and Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Gharib. He learned inheritance law (fara'id) from Abd al-Rahman ibn Khamis, Arabic language from Husayn ibn Ghannam, and studied with Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani.
Despite his youth, the Saudi ruler Sa'ud ibn Abd al-Aziz appointed him as a judge in Mecca. He subsequently returned to al-Dir'iyyah, where he served as a judge alongside his father during the rule of Abd Allah ibn Sa'ud. Imam Sa'ud also appointed him to lead public teaching sessions at his palace following the sunset prayer, where he lectured on Sahih al-Bukhari before the ruler, his family, and scholars. Numerous students from al-Dir'iyyah and elsewhere attended his lessons, including Muhammad ibn Sultan.
Scholarly Standing
He was widely recognized for his command of hadith disciplines, the evaluation of transmitters (rijal), jurisprudence (fiqh), legal theory (usul), Quranic exegesis (tafsir), and his fine penmanship. The chronicler Uthman ibn Bishr praised his proficiency, observing that when he discussed chains of narration, biographical details, and hadith variants, his mastery made it seem as though he specialized in nothing else.
Among his significant writings is Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid fi Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid, an extensive commentary on his grandfather's theological treatise Kitab al-Tawhid, which remained incomplete at his death. He also composed al-Dala'il fi Hukm Muwalat Ahl al-Ishrak, an essay addressing theological rulings on loyalty and non-alliance.
Death
In 1233 AH (1818 CE), following the Ottoman-Egyptian siege and capture of al-Dir'iyyah, he was killed under orders from Ibrahim Pasha. Accounts record that informants denounced him to the commander, who subjected him to mockery with musical instruments before having his soldiers execute him by firing squad.
Answer updated
List of Works
Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid fi Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid alladhi huwa Haqq Allah ala al-Abid (Facilitating the Mighty and Praiseworthy in Explaining the Book of Monotheism) is an extensive theological commentary on Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book of Monotheism). It serves as the earliest and most detailed commentary on the foundational treatise.
Al-Dalail fi Hukm Muwalat Ahl al-Ishrak (Proofs Regarding the Ruling on Allegiance to the People of Polytheism) is a theological treatise addressing the doctrinal rulings on loyalty, alliance, and outward conformity with non-Muslims and opponents of the Salafi reform movement.