Sulayman bin Sahman
- Died
- 1349 AH
- Born in
- -
Sulayman bin Sahman (1266–1349 AH / 1850–1930 CE) was a Najdi Hanbali scholar, theologian, and poet known for his polemical treatises in defense of the Wahhabi reformist tradition.
Lineage and Early Life
His full lineage is Sulayman bin Sahman bin Muslih bin Hamdan bin Musfir bin Muhammad bin Malik bin ‘Amir al-Khath‘ami, tracing back to the tribe of Khath‘am; he was also affiliated with the Dawasir by clientage (al-Dawsari bi-l-wala). He recorded his descent in verse, affirming his lineage through ‘Amir to Khath‘am. He was born in the village of al-Saqqa near Abha in Asir in 1266 AH (1850 CE)—though other accounts place his birth in the village of Tabala near Bishah, or record his birth year as 1268 AH or 1269 AH.
He was raised by his father, Sahman, who was a memorizer of the Quran skilled in calligraphy, and under whom he memorized the Quran and studied the fundamentals of Islamic knowledge. In 1280 AH, his father emigrated with the family from ‘Asir to Riyadh, where they were hosted and supported by Imam Faisal bin Turki Al Saud.
Education and Scholarly Career
In Riyadh, Ibn Sahman studied under Abd al-Rahman bin Hasan Al al-Shaykh and his son Abd al-Latif bin Abd al-Rahman. Endowed with fast and precise penmanship, he served as a scribe for Abd al-Latif, copying his correspondence and polemical writings. In 1284 AH, he relocated with his father to the town of al-‘Ammar in al-Aflaj, where he studied closely under the local judge, Hamad bin Atiq, for seventeen years until the latter's death in 1301 AH.
Returning to Riyadh, he continued his studies with Abd Allah bin Abd al-Latif Al al-Shaykh and studied Arabic language. He also served as a scribe for Imam Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki for a period before dedicating his time entirely to scholarship and teaching. In his later years, he was repeatedly nominated for judicial office (qada) but declined. When King Abdulaziz Al Saud took control of Riyadh, he brought Ibn Sahman into his inner circle and drew upon his scholarship to teach and train students.
Standing and Scholarly Output
Ibn Sahman was widely recognized in Najd as a dedicated polemicist, earning the title "Hassan al-Sunnah" (an allusion to the Prophet's poet Hassan ibn Thabit) for his use of both prose and verse to champion Salafi doctrine. Abd al-Rahman bin Qasim described him as an erudite scholar and mujtahid whose writings dismantled the arguments of doctrinal opponents and defended the Najdi da'wah against contemporary critics.
His theological polemics include al-Diya' al-shariq fi radd shubuhat al-madhiq al-mariq ("The Radiant Light in Refuting the Doubts of the Deviant Apostate"), composed in refutation of the Iraqi poet and writer Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi, as well as al-Sawaiq al-mursala al-shihabiyya ("The Meteoric Thunderbolts"), directed against opposing treatises from Damascus. His poetic works, spanning creedal defenses and didactic pieces, were compiled in his diwan, ‘Uqud al-jawahir al-munaddada al-hisan ("The Beautiful Strung Necklaces of Jewels").
Death
Ibn Sahman lost his eyesight in 1331 AH (1913 CE), but continued to teach and compose treatises. He died in Riyadh on 13 Jumada al-Ula 1349 AH (October 1930 CE)—with another report noting his death in Rabi‘ al-Thani of that year—at approximately eighty years of age.
Answer updated
List of Works
Tamyiz al-Sidq min al-Mayn fi Muhawarat al-Rajulayn (Distinguishing Truth from Falsehood in the Dialogue of the Two Men) is a creedal polemical treatise addressing theological debates over the excommunication (takfir) of the Jahmiyyah, grave-cultists (al-quburiyyah), and contemporary Ibadis.
Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-Ittiba fi Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahl wal-Ibtida (The Path of the People of Truth and Adherence in Opposing the People of Ignorance and Innovation) is a theological and polemical treatise that addresses religious extremism, delineating the boundaries of excommunication (takfir), religious boycotting (hajr), and the status of communal customs.
Kashf Ghayahib al-Zalam an Awham Jala al-Awham (Unveiling the Murk of Darkness from the Delusions of "Clarifying Delusions") is a theological treatise written to defend the teachings and legacy of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab against polemical attacks.
al-Sawaiq al-Mursala al-Shihabiyya ala al-Shubah al-Dahida al-Shamiyya ("The Shooting Meteoric Thunderbolts upon the Refuted Damascene Doubts") is a theological refutation written to defend the Wahhabi reformist creed against the treatises of opposing scholars.
Kashf al-Awham wal-Iltibas ‘an Tashbih Ba‘d al-Aghbiya’ min al-Nas ("The Removal of Delusions and Confusion Regarding the Misrepresentations of Certain Foolish People") is a theological polemic that defends the scholarly consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah on the excommunication (takfir) of the Jahmiyya and addresses contemporary doctrinal disputes concerning theological deviance and sectarian classification.
Fityatan Tataallaqan bi-Takfir al-Jahmiyya (Two Fatwas Concerning the Excommunication of the Jahmiyya) is a theological and legal treatise containing doctrinal responsa. The text addresses the excommunication (takfir) of theological opponents and examines the validity of performing ritual prayer behind those who hesitate or decline to excommunicate them.
Nazm ma infarada bihi Ibn Taymiyya (Versification of the Singular Positions of Ibn Taymiyya) is a didactic poem comprising 53 lines of Arabic verse. It versifies nineteen distinct legal positions in which Ibn Taymiyya diverged from the consensus of the four Sunni legal schools.
al-Bayan al-Mubdi li-Shanaat al-Qawl al-Mujdi (The Clarifying Exposition on the Heinousness of "al-Qawl al-Mujdi") is an Arabic theological treatise written to refute objections raised against Salafi doctrine concerning intercession, saint veneration, and grave visitation.
Nazm Ikhtiyarat Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya is a didactic poem that versifies selected legal preferences (ikhtiyarat) of Ibn Taymiyya. It organizes these distinctive legal rulings across the standard sequence of Islamic jurisprudence, spanning from ritual purity to the marriage dower.
Kashf al-Shubhatayn (The Clarification of the Two Misconceptions Regarding the Treatise of Yusuf ibn Shabib and the Two Poems) is a theological and polemical treatise. It was written to refute misconceptions surrounding the excommunication (takfir) of theological opponents and the doctrine of loyalty and disavowal (al-wala' wa-l-bara').
Iqamat al-Hujja wa al-Dalil wa Idah al-Mahajja wa al-Sabil is a theological and polemical treatise written to defend the divine wisdom behind Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) rituals against skeptical objections.
Tanbih Dhawi al-Albab al-Salima an al-Wuqu fi al-Alfaz al-Mubtadaa al-Wakhima is a theological treatise composed as an epistolary critique. The work corrects theological formulations and terminology derived from scholastic theology (kalam) that appeared in contemporary Hanbali creedal commentaries.
al-Diya al-Shariq fi Radd Shubuhat al-Madhiq al-Mariq is a theological treatise and polemical defense of the Salafi reform movement and its founder, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, written against contemporary theological and historical criticisms.