the great somali shiek

[spirit]

A Visit to Shaikh Muhammad As-Sumaalee

Author: Shaikh Usaamah Al-Qoosee

Source: The tape “Virtues of Knowledge and Its Peopleâ€, produced by SSNA in their 2nd Conference (Side B of Tape 1)

Translator: Al-Manhaj.Com Staff

Produced by: al-manhaj.com

 

Note: This tape was recorded in November 1999

And from the things that Allaah blessed me in these past few days was that I was in Makkah performing ‘Umrah, about two weeks ago, when some news was conveyed to me that made me very happy. It was that the teacher of our Shaikh – one of the shuyookh of our Shaikh, Muqbil Ibn Haadee was still alive! And I didn’t know that he was still alive. Our Shaikh Muqbil has reached the age of sixty-five while Shaikh Rabee’ is close to the age of seventy.

 

So when I was in Makkah, some news reached me that made me very happy. I would always hear Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Haadee Al-Waadi’ee say in his classes, while explaining the book Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and relating to us the points of benefit in a hadeeth: “Our Shaikh, Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdillaah As-Sumaalee, narrated this to us.†So I used to think that he had died.

 

But when in Makkah, I heard that Shaikh Sumaalee was still alive and he had passed a hundred years of age. This was on the Saturday before this one, the day I was to leave from Makkah to Jeddah and then from there, return to Cairo.

So with little time before I was scheduled to fly, I went to the house of Shaikh As-Sumaalee and knocked on his door.

 

And I stood there like a student of knowledge waiting to be permitted entrance to the Shaikh. And he, in that old age of his, was not able to get out of his bed – for he was 103 years old! So I asked permission to enter but it was not granted to me. So I remembered the way ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas stood by the door of Zayd Ibn Thaabit, may Allaah be pleased with them. And I said to myself: “I will stand no matter how much time goes by, for this is how the people of knowledge would do.†They told me the Shaikh was in the bathroom, so I said: “Ok, I’ll wait, inshaAllaah.†And I only had a few hours to get to the plane, but still I said: “InshaAllaah. I will not depart from Makkah until I see this Shaikh†- this Scholar, who our teachers owed credit to.

 

So after waiting almost 45 minutes in front of the door, and in a place in which Allaah had willed that a child leave some impurities on the steps of the house (i.e. he had urinated there). So there were a lot of flies there because of this impurity that was there. But all of this only made me increase my desire to see the Shaikh – even though the standing was tiring and the place was filled with flies and the stench of the urine was foul. However, I said to myself: “I will stand until Alllah willsâ€, and I supplicated to Allaah. And directly after, Allaah willed that one of the Shaikh’s close companions come and open the door. So I said: “I am waiting to meet the Shaikh for some time now.†So he said: “Tafaddal†and made me enter.

And there was the Shaikh, the big scholar, whom Allaah placed as a means for the knowledge of our Shaikh.

 

He would teach them the Books of Sunnah and he knew many great points of benefit to be extracted from the Hadeeth. Our Shaikh (Muqbil) would mention them to us and ascribe them to him. And he would say: “This point of benefit, I got from Shaikh As-Sumaalee.†He was from Somalia originally.

 

So it is upon the Somalis to feel proud of this – that this man came from their lands – a scholar from the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah. He would teach the Arabs Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. And (Allaah says): “We raise in rank whom We will.â€

 

 

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Sumaalee

 

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.

 

 

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 ******, 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 Shia), 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 Hadith.

 

So Shaikh Muhammad began to memorize Buloogh al-Maraam and memorized 500 hadeeths 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-Hudhayfee, 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.

 

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 bin Baz.

 

 

akhokum abu 3adeel al somali from birmingham

[Nur]

The spirit of this great story is the importance of seeking knowledge.

 

If at that distant time, with such a meager means and facilities, Sheikh Muhammad Al Somali was able to attain such a lofty degree of scholarship, then today with all the distance learning means and the information technologyu available to us, there is no excuse for us not to build on top of the realms these scholars have pioneered.

 

The spirit of this story is thus, let us build ontop of their accomplishments .

 

 

If I have seen further, its because I have stood on top of the shoulders of giants

Isaac Newton

 

 

Nur