Ma'a Sahib al-Fadila Walidina al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
Ma'a Sahib al-Fadila Walidina al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti (Arabic: مع صاحب الفضيلة والدنا الشيخ محمد الأمين الشنقيطي رحمه الله, lit. 'With His Eminence Our Father Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti') is a biographical treatise by the Egyptian-born judge and scholar Atiyya Salim (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE) documenting the life, education, and scholarly career of his teacher, Muhammad al-Amin al-Shinqiti (1325–1393 AH / 1907–1974 CE) .
Background and Delivery
The treatise originated as a memorial lecture prepared and delivered by Atiyya Salim, then a judge at the Sharia court in Medina, at the beginning of the cultural season organized by the Islamic University of Madinah in the school of Dar al-Hadith in early Muharram, shortly after al-Shinqiti's death in Dhu al-Hijjah 1393 AH .
Salim noted that al-Shinqiti had consistently declined to have biographical accounts written about him during his lifetime, and that Salim had only previously published a brief note taken directly from him as an introduction to al-Shinqiti's lecture on the verses of divine attributes (Ayat al-Sifat) at the Islamic University . Salim drew primarily on his own close, long-standing companionship with al-Shinqiti day and night, his accompaniment during travels inside and outside Saudi Arabia, and direct oral accounts received from his teacher and his circle .
Structure and Contents
The work opens with reflections on the passing of scholars and the importance of preserving their legacy . It documents the circumstances of al-Shinqiti's death on the morning of Thursday, 17 Dhu al-Hijjah 1393 AH in Mecca on his return from the Hajj pilgrimage, his burial in al-Ma'lah cemetery, the funeral prayer led by Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz at the Grand Mosque of Mecca, and the absentee funeral prayer (salat al-gha'ib) held on Sunday night, 20 Dhu al-Hijjah at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, led by Abd al-Aziz ibn Salih . Salim identifies three figures as particularly deserving of personal condolence for their unique relationships with al-Shinqiti: Ibn Baz for twenty-one years of companionship, Abd al-Aziz ibn Salih for being the first to recognize him upon arrival and arranging his teaching circle, and Prince Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman for his esteem .
Salim divides biographical writing into two intertwined dimensions: personal biography (tarjama shakhsiyyah) and scholarly methodology (sirah 'ilmiyyah) . He observes that biographers typically fall into three categories—an affectionate supporter prone to overlook flaws, an aggrieved opponent inclined to highlight faults, or an objective outsider who may miss vital nuances—arguing that a student who experienced long companionship is uniquely suited to provide an accurate record . The work details al-Shinqiti's early life, traditional studies in Mauritania, arrival in Saudi Arabia for Hajj, his teaching tenures in Riyadh and Medina, his educational impact across government institutes and the Islamic University, and the significance of his Quranic exegesis Adwa' al-Bayan .
Publication and Transmission
Following its delivery as a lecture, the text was published in the journal of the Islamic University of Madinah (Majallat al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah), appearing in its twenty-third issue . It was subsequently included as a primary biographical introduction in printed editions of al-Shinqiti's Adwa' al-Bayan and has also circulated as an independent biographical treatise .
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