‘Abdullaah bin Muhammad Al-Qar’aawee
Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ibn Muhammad ibn Hamad ibn Muhammad al-Qar’aawee an-Najdee (1315-1389 AH / 1897-1971 CE) from the district of Qaseem in Najd. He played a great role in Calling to Allaah and spreading the authentic creed, particularly in the southern regions of Saudi Arabia, where this (Salafi) Da’wah thrived and prospered.
Biography
Early life
He was born in Dhul-Hijjah of 1315 AH (1897 CE) in the city of 'Unayzah. His father died two months prior to his birth, so he was raised an orphan under the care and auspices of his mother and paternal uncle.
Death
During the last part of his life, he was afflicted with a severe ailment, as a result of which he was forced to move to Riyadh where he was admitted into its central hospital. On Tuesday, the 8th of Jumaadaal-Oolaa, 1389 AH (1971 CE), the Shaykh died, having reached around 73 years of age. He is regarded today as one of the Imaams of the Islamic Da’wah of the 14th Hijri Century, particularly in the districts of Tuhaamah and ‘Aseer, which serve as the birthplace of his Da’wah.
Education
He was brought up learning the basic elementary studies, uprightness, purification and memorization of the Qur’an. During the first part of his life, he occupied himself with conducting business, but he changed to seeking knowledge. He traveled to India twice and then moved throughout the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeking knowledge. So he traveled from Buraydah to Makkah and then to Madeenah, Riyadh, Ihsaa and Qatar. In fact, he even transcended beyond the Arabian Peninsula, visiting Iraq, Egypt and Syria.
Scholastic career
Afterward, he commenced his Call to reformation, turning his attention to the southern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He settled in Saamitah and made it the center for his Da’wah. So he began calling the people to have pious of Allaah and to adhere to the beliefs of the pious predecessors (Salaf as-Saalih). Many students would gather around him, and so he would have a large following of people who came to him seeking knowledge. So he held gatherings, teaching them the Qur’an, Tafseer, Tajweed, Tawheed, Hadeeth, Fiqh, Laws of Inheritance, and some of the sciences of the Arabic language.
Then he focused on some of the neighboring towns of Saamitah and opened various educational institutes, appointing some of his main students as teachers in them – students the likes of Shaykh Haafidh Al-Hakamee, about whom he said: “He is one of my students, however he has surpassed me in knowledge by far.”
He would supply these schools with everything that students stood in need of, such as books, notepads and so on, purchasing that with his personal donations. He would also go out in person to visit the neighboring villages on certain days to the point that the people turned towards seeking knowledge under him. The Shaykh’s schools spread out from the district of Tuhaamah to the district of ‘Aseer. He opened many schools and institutes within these regions and appointed his major students to teach in them.
Students
- Haafidh ibn Ahmed 'Alee al-Hakamee
- Shaykh Ahmad ibn Yahyaa An-Najmee
- Shaykh ‘Umar Jardee Al-Madkhalee
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-Hakamee