Qissat al-Hayat
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Qissat al-Hayat
Qissat al-Hayat (The Story of Life) is a biographical work by Abd al-Ilah bin Abdullah bin Ali Jabir, chronicling the life, education, and career of the prominent Quran reciter and former imam of al-Masjid al-Haram, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Jabir (1373–1426 AH / 1953–2005 CE).
Background and Early Life
The book outlines the lineage and background of Ali bin Abdullah bin Salih bin Ali Jabir al-Sa'idi al-Yafi'i al-Himyari al-Qahtani, tracing his family to the Yafi'i tribe of Al Ali Jabir, who settled in Hadramawt before his father relocated to Jeddah in the Hijaz . Ali Jabir was born in Jeddah in Dhu al-Hijjah 1373 AH (1954 CE), and at five years of age, he moved with his parents to Medina .
Following the death of his father in late 1384 AH when he was eleven years old, his maternal uncle and mother oversaw his upbringing . Ali Jabir memorized the Quran before reaching puberty and pursued his primary and intermediate education at Dar al-Hadith in Medina, followed by secondary studies at the institute affiliated with the Islamic University of Medina . He graduated from the College of Sharia in 1395–1396 AH with distinction, enrolled in the Higher Judicial Institute in Riyadh, and earned a master's degree in 1400 AH with a thesis on the jurisprudence of Abdullah ibn Umar . He later obtained a doctorate in comparative jurisprudence from the Higher Judicial Institute in 1407 AH for his dissertation examining the jurisprudence of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr .
Imamate and Career
The narrative documents his imamate appointments, which began at Masjid al-Ghamama in Medina from 1394 to 1396 AH, followed by Masjid al-Sabaq for a year . After completing his master's degree, he declined a judicial post in Maysan near Taif out of religious caution regarding the gravity of judicial responsibility, whereupon a royal directive appointed him as a lecturer at King Abdulaziz University's branch in Medina in the 1401 AH academic year .
In 1401 AH, he served as the private imam to King Khalid in Taif . On the twenty-third night of Ramadan of that year, he was summoned to lead the Tarawih prayers at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, leading to his official appointment as an imam of the Grand Mosque through the remainder of that Ramadan and in subsequent years . The work also highlights his distinctive style of Quranic recitation, which gained widespread popularity and influenced contemporary recitation traditions .
Final Days and Passing
The account concludes with the end of his life following an extended illness; he died on Wednesday evening, 12 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1426 AH (December 2005) in Jeddah . His funeral prayer took place at al-Masjid al-Haram the following day, led by Sheikh Salih Al Talib, and he was buried in the al-Shara'i cemetery in Mecca .
Answer updated