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Shaykh Muhammad ibn
'Abdullaah as-Sumaalee
All praise be to Allaah alone and
may the peace and blessing be on the best
of His creation, Muhammad, and on his
family and Companions. To proceed:
Muhammad 'Abdullaah
As-Sumaalee was a teacher in Al-Masjid
Al-Haraam and in the Daar-ul-Hadeeth
Al-Khairiyyah in Makkah. He was a noble
scholar and a knowledgeable Muhaddith. I
attended his classes on Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree
and other subjects, which he gave in
Al-Masjid Al-Haraam during my first years
of seeking knowledge from 1397H to 1398H. I
benefited from his knowledge and from his
good manners and character. He was highly
proficient - specifically in the Science of
Hadeeth and it's Terminology. He was
well grounded and strong in his knowledge
of the Science of narrators and chains of
narration, as well as other Islamic
sciences and the Arabic language.
Allaah granted benefit through his
teaching in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and in
Daar-ul-Hadeeth. Many students of knowledge
from various parts of the world came out
from him. He, may Allaah have mercy on him,
gave great importance to rectification and
fearing of Allaah along with humbleness,
gentle character, abstinence, piety and a
rejection of this worldly life. He would
not preoccupy himself with things other
than Islaamic knowledge, worship and
obedience (to Allaah), up until the time He
returned to His Lord. May Allaah shower him
with His vast mercy and contentment, and
may He accept him among His righteous
servants. And we ask Allaah to give him a
high place in Paradise, with the pious.
Verily Allaah is the One who hears and
answers the supplications.
And may the peace and blessings of
Allaah be on our Prophet, Muhammad, his
family and his Companions.
Stated by Shaikh 'Umar Ibn
Muhammad As-Subayyal, Imaam of Al-Masjid
Al-Haraam (who recently passed
away)
His place of birth and his
early upbringing
The Shaikh, the Muhaddith,
Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah Ibn Ahmad
As-Sumaalee traced his lineage back to the
village of Amaadin in Ogaden, which is in
western Somalia, an area currently being
occupied by Ethiopia.
Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah
As-Sumaalee was born at the beginning of
this (20th) century, around 1910 or so.
This is because the Shaikh remembers seeing
the Somali Mujaahid known as Sayyid
Muhammad 'Abdullaah, and he was a
little older by then. And Sayyid Muhammad
died in the year 1919.
His quest for
knowledge
He sought knowledge from his early
youth since he was seven or eight years
old. He began by memorizing the Qur'aan
and read it to Shaikh Hasan. Then he read
the book Safeenah An-Najaa, which is a book
on Shaafi'ee Fiqh to Shaikh
'Abd-ur-Rahmaan 'Awl. Then he read
the book Al-Minhaaj, on Shaafi'ee Fiqh,
to Shaikh Haaj 'Alee Tam'asee. Then
after that, he read from the text of
Al-Ajroomiyyah to Shaikh Muhammad Noor
Hirsee concerning Arabic grammar, as well
as its explanation by Al-'Ashmaawee,
then Milhat-ul-'Iraab, then
Laamiyyat-ul-Af'aal concerning Arabic
morphology.
After the Shaikh completed his
studies with the scholars of his land, he
decided to travel to other lands in search
of knowledge, following the way of his
pious predecessors (i.e. the Salaf). His
first travel was to Ethiopia, to the
regions known as JakJakaa and Faafan, which
took a distance of ten day's journey
from his country. At that time he was
twenty years old. He studied the book Nadhm
Al-'Umarbatee with Shaikh Muhammad
Mu'allim Husayn, and he studied
Laamiyyat-ul-Af'aal and
Milhat-ul-'Iraab with Shaikh
'Abd-un-Noor. He also studied the books
Qatr-un-Nadaa and Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik with
Shaikh Aruboo. Then he studied the science
of Bayaan with Shaikh 'Alee Jawhar and
then with Shaikh Hasan Ibn Ash-Shaikh
Hasan. His stay in Ethiopia lasted about
two years.
During his journey back home, the
Shaikh became very sick due to the
difference of foods between Somalia and
Ethiopia. His paternal aunt tended to him,
nursing him. When he recovered from his
sickness, he became determined to travel
again, so his aunt gave him an ox, which he
sold and used the money to travel to
Djibouti.
There he read the book Safeenah
An-Najaa to Shaikh 'Alee Jawhar but he
did not finish it. And his stay did not
last for more than two months, for he
traveled by sea towards Yemen. The waves
and the currents of the sea threw their
ship back and forth until they feared for
their lives, and it was such that the
Shaikh swore that he would not ride by sea
again. They arrived at the city of Zabeed
in Yemen and stayed there for three months.
There he studied the book As-Safeenah
concerning Shaafi'ee Fiqh. Then he
traveled to the area of Qatee' and
remained there for a month listening to
Al-Minhaaj concerning Shaafi'ee Fiqh in
the presence of Shaikh Yahyaa, the Muftee
of the lands of Qatee'. Then he moved
to the city of San'aa and studied the
sciences of the Arabic Language there. So
he studied the books
Qawaa'id-ul-'Iraab, Qatr-un-Nadaa,
Al-Jawhar-ul-Maknoon, Al-Alfiyyah and
Al-Ashmoonee. He rejected the beliefs of
the people of that land, which was Zaydee
(a sect of the Shi'ah), and said to
them: "I am a Shaafi'ee." But
they did not let him continue studying his
madh-hab. Then, one of the teachers there,
Al-Ustaadh Yahyaa Al-'Eesaa advised him
to study the Science of Hadeeth.
So Shaikh Muhammad began to
memorize Buloogh Al-Maraam and memorized
500 hadeeth from it. Then he began to study
the book Subul-us-Salaam (the explanation
of Buloogh Al-Maraam) with one of the
well-known Shaikhs. Among his teachers of
the Arabic Language in Yemen, were Shaikh
Lutfee, Shaikh 'Alee Fiddah and Shaikh
Kabasee. Then the Shaikh desired to go to
Egypt to seek knowledge, but at that time
World War II started and all of the sea
routes were closed.
Then the Shaikh met a man that had
come from Makkah, so he asked him about how
Makkah was. The man responded to him,
saying: "O Muhammad, there is a school
in Makkah in which they teach hadeeth. It
is called Daar-ul-Hadeeth." So the
Shaikh was pleased with this and traveled
to Makkah from San'aa towards the end
of 1359H along with other people going to
Hajj. Shaikh Yahyaa entrusted the leader of
the Hajj trip with him. So he gave him a
riding animal and the journey lasted a
month from San'aa to Makkah. He reached
Makkah in 1360H and enlisted in the
Daar-ul-Hadeeth school.
In Daar-ul-Hadeetth, Shaikh
Muhammad Haamid Al-Fiqqee met Shaikh
Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah and asked him:
"Where did you come from O
Muhammad?" So he told him: "I
came from Somalia in search of the noble
hadeeth." So he was greatly impressed
and said: "The Khuraafees (a deviant
sect) and the followers of (sufi) orders
eat and fill themselves, but the students
of Hadeeth do not find
anything."
So he took him to a shelter whose
caretaker was from the ashraaf (those whose
lineage can be traced back to the Prophet)
and said to him: "This person seeks
the hadeeth of your forefather." So he
would reserve two loaves of white bread for
him every day.
The Shaikh continued seeking
knowledge in the Haram and in
Daar-ul-Hadeeth. He studied under Shaikh
'Abd-ur-Razzaaq Hamzah Al-Misree,
Shaikh Abu As-Samah, Imaam of the Haram,
Shaikh Sulaymaan Ibn 'Abdir-Rahmaan
Al-Hamdaan, teacher of Tawheed and Hadeeth
at Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, Shaikh Abee
Sa'eed Al-Pakistani, Shaikh Muhammad
Sultaan Al-Ma'soomee, Shaikh Abu
Muhammad 'Abdul-Haqq Al-Haashimee, and
Shaikh Ibn Maani'.
From the most particular of his
teachers was Shaikh 'Abd-ur-Razaaq
Hamzah, whom he studied and read the Six
Books of the Sunnah with, as well as
Tafseer Ibn Katheer and Al-Bidaayah
wan-Nihaayah, but he didn't complete
it. Upon seeing the Shaikh's eagerness
and great concern for seeking knowledge,
Shaikh 'Abd-ur-Razaaq Hamzah began to
esteem him and love him more than his own
children.
Shaikh 'Abd-u-Razaaq's
method in teaching hadeeth was that he
would read the chain of narration and then
ask his students about the name, kunyah and
laqab of the reporter. So if they
didn't know, they would have to
research it in their books.
After studying for two years in
Daar-ul-Hadeeth, he was appointed as
teacher of Arabic Language, which he would
do while still studying Hadeeth. The Shaikh
graduated from Daar-ul-Hadeeth in 1975 and
achieved the high approval (Ijaazah
'aaliyah) and the degree of Mujtahid in
the assigned subjects. Then he was
appointed as a teacher in the Islaamic
University of Madeenah and there a number
of students of knowledge studied under
him.
Afterward, he was appointed as a
teacher in the Haram of Makkah until the
year 1406H when he broke his leg. But he
remained employed as a teacher and was
given permission to teach at home. And he
would teach in his home until the time he
passed away.
His Abstinence and
Piety
The Shaikh was one who abstained
from worldly luxuries, who was careful of
what he received and took and was very
modest. He did not know anything of the
dunyaa for he had abandoned the worldly
life after it had been presented to him.
Among the examples of this is the following
story. He used to live in one small
apartment, and when it was said to him:
"Shall we not look for another
apartment for you", he responded by
saying: "Do you want people to say
that Shaikh Muhammad is
greedy?"
And one time when he broke his leg
and was not able to go to the Haram to
teach, he refused to accept the stipend
that he normally would take (for teaching).
So Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah
As-Subayyal, head of the affairs of the
Haramayn, said to him: "The pious and
wicked both take this money, and you have
more right to it. So whoever comes to you,
then teach him in your home."
His students
A number of students studied under
the Shaikh, the number of which cannot be
counted, whether in the Daar-ul-Hadeeth
center or in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam or in the
Islamic University.
His educational gatherings would
be constantly frequented and attended by
the elite amongst the noble scholars, such
as:
1. Shaikh Muhammad Ibn
'Abdillaah As-Subayyal, the head of the
affairs of the Haramayn and the Imaam and
khateeb of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
2. Shaikh Yahyaa Ibn 'Uthmaan
Al-Makkee Al-Hindee, from the scholars of
Hijaaz
3. Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Haadee
Al-Waadi'ee, the Muhaddith of the lands
of Yemen, who described his Shaikh in his
book "Al-Muqtarah fee
'Ilm-il-Mustalah" as "the
most knowledgeable person about the Science
of Hadeeth in the area of
Hijaaz."
4. Shaikh 'Umar Ibn Muhammad
Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Subayyal, Imaam and
Khateeb of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
5. Shaikh Ahmad Wulu
Al-Habashee
6. Shaikh Muhammad Hasan
Al-Jaysh
Those who received an
ijaazah (religious certification) from
him
They are a large number. Amongst
the most famous of them are:
'Abd-ur-Rahmaan Al-Hudhaifee, Shaikh
Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Uthmaan
Al-Mani'ee, Shaikh Musaa'id
Al-Humaid, Shaikh Rabee' Ibn Haadee
Al-Madkhalee, Shaikh Muhammad Al-Madkhalee,
Shaikh Usaamah Al-Qoosee and Shaikh
Wasiyullaah Muhammad 'Abbaas.
The beginning of his
terminal sickness and his
death
The beginning of his last sickness
was at the start of the month of
Sha'baan, when he began feeling great
sluggishness. On Saturday, he made a lot of
supplication, and from his supplications
was: "O Allaah, let me live if life is
better for me, and let me die if death is
better for me."
Then on Monday morning, he fainted
and was taken to a hospital. The Shaikh
regained consciousness the next day and a
large group of his students came to visit
him. He made a final request that Shaikh
Muhammad 'Abdullaah As-Subayyal lead
the prayer over him. Then he fainted again
after that and from then on it was
customary that he would recover and then go
into unconsciousness again and again for
some days. We ask Allaah that He make that
as a means of purifying him and raising him
in levels.
The Shaikh finally died on Sunday
night, the 3rd of Ramadaan 1420H. And his
Janaazah funeral prayer) was prayed the
next day, Monday, in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam
after 'Ishaa. He was buried in the
Al-'Adl cemetery, in the vicinity of
his brother (in Islaam) Shaikh
'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdillaah
Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on both of
them.
Footnotes
[1] Translator's Note: Ogaden
is a large area of land in west Somalia
that borders with Ethiopia. It was taken
over by the Ethiopian government and to
this day is occupied by their forces. There
is still fighting going on between Somalis
and Ethiopians with regard to liberating
Ogaden. May Allaah assist the Muslims
there.
[2] Translator's Note: Shaikh
Ibn 'Abd-ir-Razaaq Hamzah was born in
1311H and died on 1392H (1893 - 1972). He
was born in a small lightly populated
village in Qalyubiyyah (a province) in
Lower Egypt). He studied there in Al-Azhar
University and then traveled to Saudi
Arabia in 1344H. He was put in charge of
giving the khutbah and leading the prayers
(Imamate) in the Prophet's Mosque in
Madeenah. Then he moved to Makkah and was
appointed a teacher in Hadeeth and Tafseer.
He specialized in Hadeeth and its sciences
and was in charge of printing a number of
books, such as Ikhtisaar
'Uloom-il-Hadeeth of Ibn Katheer,
Mawaarid-udh-Dhamaan of Al-Haithamee and
Al-Kabaa'ir of Adh-Dhahabee. He also
wrote books, a majority of which were
refutations of some books, such as his
works: Dhulumaat Abee Rayaa, which is a
critique of the book "Adwaa 'alaa
As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah" of Mahmood
Abu Rayya in which there is disparaging of
the Sunnah and some Companions. Another
book he wrote was Ash-Shawaahid wan-Nusoos,
which is a criticism of the book
"Al-Aghlaal" by 'Abdullaah
Al-Qaseemee. And he also wrote
"Al-Muqaabilah baina Al-Hudaa
wad-Dalaal." He died while in
Makkah.
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Translated by: Ismail Alercon
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