SHAIKH ABDUL AZEEZ IBN BAAZ

By Abuz-Zubair al-‘Azzami Source: abuzubair.com 

Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah SAW say, ‘Allaah does not take knowledge away by taking it away from people’s (hearts); He takes knowledge away by taking away the scholars (i.e., when scholars die), and when there is not one scholar left, the people will turn to ignorant leaders who, when they are consulted, will give fatwas without knowledge. They are misguided and they misguide others." (Saheeh al-Bukhaari)  

Indeed from the regular calamities befalling the Muslims in our time was the death of an ‘Aalim beloved to our hearts, Sheikh Ibn Baaz – Raheemahullah. The Sheikh was not only a person of knowledge, but he also was a father-like figure for the Ummah as a whole, which was witnessed by millions through out his life. It was through the Da’wah of Sheikh Ibn Baaz, that many of the Muslim Youth from the Arab world, joined the caravan of the Mujaahideen in Afghanistan, as Sheikh ‘Abdullah ‘Azzam stated. The Sheikh, in spite of having immense knowledge and action, would not find it hard to come down to the level of common Muslims and teach them their Deen. In spite of being blind, he would refuse to sit back and watch the Arab nationalists and the secularists corrupt the Muslim lands. He would always hurry to help the Muslims whenever he heard about their oppression. As Sheikh Ibn Jibreen wrote in his letter, that indeed it was Sheikh Ibn Baaz, when he heard that Jamaal ‘Abdun-Naasir has decided to exterminate Sayid Qutub, he wrote a letter, interceding for him, but the tyrant Jamaal ‘Abdun-Naasir did not accept (may Allah give him what he deserves). 

Indeed what Sheikh Saalih al-Munajjid said was correct that, “Two kinds of enemies of Allaah will rejoice at the news of his death: the hypocrites who want to remove Islam from people’s lives, and the confused followers of bid’ah and desires.” This is why we see many of those ignorant youths, who do not even know how to make Wudoo`, eating the flesh of the Sheikh even after he has gone to the Mercy of Allah. 

Many of those who claim to be “aware” of the current affairs, fail to realise that one of the contemporary scholars, Sheikh Salmaan bin Fahd al-‘Awdah in fact made a tape about Sheikh Ibn Baaz called ‘Manaaqib Ibn Baaz’ – meaning ‘Virtues of Ibn Baaz’, and similarly, Sheikh ‘Aa`idh bin ‘Abdullah al-Qarnee prepared a book entitled ‘al-Mumtaaz Fee Manaaqibish-Sheikh Ibn Baaz’ – meaning ‘The excellence in the virtues of Ibn Baaz’. Ash-Sheikh ash-Shaheed ‘Abdullah Yoosuf ‘Azzam, the Imaam of the Mujahideen in this century had the following to say about our father Ibn Baaz, so let this be a lesson for the arrogant-ignorant youths to hold their tongues. 

“(‘Abdullah ‘Azzam speaking to Sheikh Ibn Baaz) You know that I am from al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen… But by Allah! I do not equate to you a Muraaqib (the supervisor) nor a Murshid (lit. the guide – the leader of Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen). Indeed you are more beloved to me than the Murshid of al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen, and the Muraaqib of al-Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen, because I think that you have benefited Islaam more than them…” 

“… then I said to him:  ‘Indeed you are more beloved to me than my father and my mother’ – and practically he is more beloved to me than my father and mother, why? Because I think that there is good in him, and there is sincerity and benefit for the Muslims. That is how we think of him, and we do not claim his piety in front of Allah. The entire mankind in general benefits from him… 

Ibn Baaz, his intellect is Salafi, and not a Hizbi (group-oriented), he is not into a ‘political-salafi party’. His intellect his Islaamic, his heart is Islaamic, his soul is Islaamic, so he loves Islaam wherever it may be, whether it is in the Ikhwaan or other than them. When the Jihaad in Syria appeared, he passed a Fatwa in Saudi, that it is permissible to collect money and zakaah for the Mujaahideen in Syria, and this affected the relations between the two countries, the relation of Syria with Saudi… 

He heard that there is Jihaad in Afghanistan, he passed a Fatwa that Jihaad is Fardh ‘Ain (an obligation on every Muslim male and female like prayer and fasting) and he gave them money and so on… He heard that there are oppressed Muslims in certain part of this earth, so he passed a Fatwa against their ruler with that which he deserves through Islaam. He is eager in seeking the pleasure of Allah and adhering to the Messenger – upon him be Salaah and Salaam…”

(Fee Dhilaal Sooratit-Tawbah volume 1 page 117) 

Lastly, I would say that no matter how much the people of ignorance, innovations and desires, speak ill of this ‘Aalim, Sheikh Ibn Baaz has left a mark in the Islaamic history for his Imamate was established and acknowledged by the Ummah as a whole, regardless of groups and parties. This is why adh-Dhahabi – may Allah have mercy upon him – said: 

“I say: If the likes of the great predecessors were spoken ill of by the Rawaafidh and the Khawaarij, like Fudhail was spoken ill of, so who is protected from the tongues of people? But if the Imamate and the virtues of a person are established, then whatever is said about him does not harm him, and indeed, the speech about the ‘Ulamaa` is in need of balance with justice and piety”. (See Siyer al-A’laam an-Nubulaa` 8/448)                                                     

May Allah have mercy upon the Sheikh and make the Muslims benefit from his work.