Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al ash-Sheikh

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abd al-Laṭīf Āl ash-Shaykh
عبد الله ابن عبد اللطيف آل الشيخ
Born1848 (1848)
Died1921 (aged 72–73)
OccupationIslamic scholar
Era19th Century - 20th Century
ChildrenTarfa bint Abd Allah
Relatives
FamilyAl ash-Sheikh

ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Āl ash-Shaykh (Arabic: عبد الله بن عبد اللطيف آل الشيخ; 1848–1921) was a scholar from Nejd in Arabia and was the grandfather of King Faisal. He was a descendant of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al Wahhāb.

Background

Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al ash-Sheikh was born in 1848 into the noted family of Nejdi religious scholars, the Al ash-Sheikh, descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.[1]: 210  His father was Abd al Latif ibn Abd al Rahman Al Sheikh [ru]. One of Abd Allah's brothers, Muhammad, was also a religious figure.[2]

Career

Abd Allah was the leader of the Saudi ulema at the end of the 19th century. He was the teacher of Ibn Saud, later King Abdulaziz, concerning the principles of the Islamic jurisprudence and monotheism.[3] In 1892, the Saudi state was destroyed by their rivals, the Al Rashid of Ha'il, and the Saudi leadership went into exile. Rather than going into exile as well, Abd Allah sided with the Al Rashid and moved to Ha'il.[4]: 20 [5] The Al Saud returned from exile in 1902 under the leadership of Abdulaziz Al Saud (later Saudi Arabia's first king) and re-established the Saudi state around Riyadh.[6] Abd Allah bin Abd al-Latif then changed sides again and re-joined the Al Saud, a change of heart which was accepted by Abdulaziz.[5]

Abd Allah was one of the ulemas who guided the early leaders of the Ikhwan when the group was formed by Abdulaziz in 1912.[2] He remained as leader of the Saudi religious establishment until his death in 1921.[1]: 210 [7]

Personal life

In 1902, his and Haya bint Abdul Rahman Al Muqbel's daughter, Tarfa bint Abdullah, married Ibn Saud.[8] Their son, Faisal, later became King of Saudi Arabia.[5] Abdullah's two other daughters also married the members of the Al Saud family. His daughter Sara married Saad bin Abdul Rahman, full brother of King Abdulaziz.[9] The other daughter, Munira, married to Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman, half-brother of King Abdulaziz.[9][10] These marriages were strategic moves to strengthen the links between two families, namely the Al Sauds and the Al Sheikhs.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b David Dean Commins (2006). The Wahhabi mission and Saudi Arabia. ISBN 1-84511-080-3.
  2. ^ a b Talal Sha'yfan Muslat Al-Azma' (July 1999). The Role of the Ikhwan under 'Abdul-Aziz Al Sa'ud 1916-1934 (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of Durham. p. 78. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Riyadh. The capital of monotheism" (PDF). Business and Finance Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2009.
  4. ^ Paul Aarts; Gerd Nonneman (September 2007). Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs. NYU Press. ISBN 9780814707180.
  5. ^ a b c Alexander Bligh (1985). "The Saudi religious elite (Ulama) as participant in the political system of the kingdom". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 17: 37–50. doi:10.1017/S0020743800028750. S2CID 154565116.
  6. ^ "Saudi Arabia". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  7. ^ Nabil Mouline (2014). The Clerics of Islam. Religious Authority and Political Power in Saudi Arabia. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. p. 88. doi:10.12987/yale/9780300178906.001.0001. ISBN 9780300178906.
  8. ^ "في ذكري ميلاده.. تعرف على أهم أسرار حياة الملك فيصل آل سعود". Elzman News (in Arabic). 14 April 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b Alexei Vassiliev (1 March 2013). King Faisal: Personality, Faith and Times. Saqi. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-86356-761-2.
  10. ^ Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Faisal Al Saud (PDF). p. 55. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ Alejandra Galindo Marines (2001). The relationship between the ulama and the government in the contemporary Saudi Arabian Kingdom: an interdependent relationship? (PDF) (PhD thesis). Durham University.