A Brief Biography of Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n bin N***257;sir al-Barr***257;k

A Brief Biography of Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n bin N***257;sir al-Barr***257;k

He is the noble scholar, al-Shaykh al-‘All***257;mah, ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n b. N***257;sir b. Barr***257;k b. Ibr***257;h***299;m al Barr***257;k.

His Birth and Upbringing

He was born in the town of Bukayr***299;yyah which is located in the region of Qas***299;m in the month of Dhul Qa’dah in the year 1352 H.

His father passed away when he was only one year old, after which he was raised under the care of his maternal uncles and his mother.

When he reached the age of five he travelled with his mother to Makkah under the care of his step-father, Muhammad b. Ham***363;d al-Barr***257;k.

In Makkah he enrolled in al-Rahm***257;n***299;yyah school in the second year of his primary education.

At the age of ten, by the will of All***257;h the noble shaykh was afflicted with an ailment in his eyes which resulted in the loss of his eyesight.

His Teachers and His Studies

After returning from Makkah to Al Bukayr***299;yyah with his family, he started memorizing the Qur’***257;n under the supervision of his uncle ‘Abdull***257;h b. Mans***363;r al-Barr***257;k and then under the supervision of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n b. S***257;lim al-Kuraydis (may All***257;h have mercy upon all of them). He completed memorizing the Qur’***257;n at the age of ten.

Between the years 1364-1365 H, he began his pursuit for knowledge by attending lessons from various scholars and reading upon them. He read the majority of Kit***257;b al-Tawh***299;d and al-***256;jurr***363;m***299;yyah to Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. ‘Abd All***257;h al Subayyal. Thereafter, he read al-Us***363;l al-Thal***257;tha to Sh. Muhammad b. Muqbil.

Once again, he travelled to Makkah around the year 1366 H where he remained for three years. During that time he read al-***256;jurr***363;m***299;yyah to the Im***257;m of the Grand Masjid in Makkah ,who at that time was Sh. Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Khulayf***299; (may All***257;h have mercy on him).

There he met a noble scholar who was one of the premier students of al-‘All***257;mah Muhammad b. Ibrahim ***256;l al-Shaykh, Sh. S***257;lih b. Husayn al-‘Al***299; al-Ir***257;q***299;, a friend of al-‘All***257;mah Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. B***257;z. Shaykh Abd al-Rahm***257;n al-Barr***257;k used to sit with him and benefit from his knowledge.

When Sh. S***257;lih was appointed as principle of al-Az***299;zah school in al-Dalam, he desired Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n to accompany him, as an honour to him. Consequently, he accompanied him in order to study under Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. B***257;z.

In Rab***299;’ al-Awwal of the year 1369 H, Shaykh Abd al-Rahm***257;n enrolled in the fourth grade in the al-‘***256;z***299;zah school where the most important benefit he acquired was learning the fundamental rules of Tajw***299;d.

During the same year he travelled with a group of students together with Sh. Bin B***257;z to Hajj. Upon returning, he decided to leave formal studies in school and began memorising different texts with the students of Sh. Bin B***257;z. He also began attending the Shaykh’s lessons.

He attended a number of duroos in which a number of texts were read to Sh. Bin B***257;z including: al-Us***363;l al-Thal***257;thah, Kit***257;b al-Tawh***299;d, ‘Umdat al-‘Ahk***257;m, Bul***363;gh al-Mar***257;m, Musnad Ahmad, Tafs***299;r ibn Kath***299;r, al-Rahab***299;yyah, and al-***256;jurr***363;m***299;yyah.

Afterwards, he remained in al-Dalam in the care of Sh. S***257;lih al-‘Ir***257;q***299; and he learnt from him the science of poetic meter (al-‘ar***363;d).

In al-Dalam, he memorised al-Us***363;l al-Thal***257;thah, Kit***257;b al-Tawh***299;d, al-***256;jurr***363;m***299;yyah, Qatr al-Nad***257;, al-Rahab***299;yyah, some of Alf***299;yyah ibn M***257;lik concerning grammar, and Alf***299;yyah al-‘Ir***257;q***299; in the sciences of Had***299;th.

He remained in al-Dalam until the end of 1370. His time spent there had a great impact on his academic development.

When al-Ma’had al-‘Ilm***299; was established in Riyadh in Muharram, 1371 H, he enrolled in its secondary school for its four year course, graduating in 1374 H. He pursued his studies further in the College of Shar***299;’ah in Riyadh, graduating in the year 1378 H.

His teachers at al-Ma’had al-‘Ilm***299; and the College of Shar***299;’ah

He studied under many teachers, the most prominent of whom include: al-‘All***257;mah ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. B***257;z , al-‘All***257;mah Muhammad al-Am***299;n al-Shanq***299;t***299; with whom he studied Tafs***299;r and Us***363;l al-Fiqh, al-‘All***257;mah Abd al-Razz***257;q Af***299;f***299; who taught them Tawh***299;d, grammar and Us***363;l al-Fiqh, Sh. Muhammad ‘Abd al-Razz***257;q Hamza, Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. N***257;sir al-Rash***299;d, Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n al-Afr***299;q***299;, Sh. ‘Abd al-Lat***299;f Sarh***257;n and many others.

Whilst studying in the College, he used to take the opportunity to benefit from the lessons taught by al-‘All***257;mah Muhammad b. Ibr***257;h***299;m ***256;l al-Shaykh in the masjid.

Out of all of his teachers, the one who had the greatest personal impact on him was al-‘All***257;mah ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. B***257;z from whom he benefited extensively in a period spanning over fifty years, starting in 1369 H until he passed away in 1420 H (may All***257;h have mercy on him).

Positions He Has Held

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n Al Barr***257;k was appointed as a teacher at al-Ma’had al-‘Ilm***299; in Riyadh in the year 1379 H, where he remained for three years. He was then transferred to the College of Shar***299;’ah where he various Shar’***299; sciences.

When the College of Us***363;l al-D***299;n was opened in 1396 H, he was transferred to the Dept. of and Theology and Contemporary Ideologies, and he was appointed to teach ‘Aq***299;dah in both colleges until his retirement in 1420 H. During this time, he supervised many graduate theses.

Following his retirement the College desired to keep him on as a teacher but he declined.

Sh. Bin Baz asked him many times to become to join in the work of D***257;r al-Ift***257;’ (in answering Fatw***257; questions) but he declined. However, his shaykh was satisfied when he finally agreed to oversee the Presidency of Ift***257;’ in Riyadh for the duration of the summer period when many of the shaykhs/ members of the committee travel to Taa’if. Out of shyness, Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n accepted Sh. Bin Baz’s request and performed this duty twice, after which he left it.

After the death of al-‘All***257;mah Bin Baz, the current grand mufti, Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z ***256;l al-Shaykh, once again implored Sh. ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n al-Barr***257;k to become part of the council for giving fatw***257;. Despite the Muft***299;’s adamant requests, he declined once again in order to devote his time to teaching and calling to Isl***257;m.

His Efforts in Teaching and Spreading Knowledge

Sh. Al-Barr***257;k has regular lessons in Masjid al-Khulayfi in the al-F***257;r***363;q District of Riyadh, where he is also the Im***257;m. Most of his lessons are in this Masjid. In these lessons, dozens of books have been read to him in various disciplines such as Fiqh, Us***363;l al-Fiqh, Tafs***299;r, Us***363;l al-Tafs***299;r, Had***299;th, Mustalah, Nahw, ‘Aq***299;dah and other sciences.

In addition, he has some private lessons in his house for some of his closest students. He also holds other lessons in mas***257;jid across Riyadh.

During summer vacations, he participates in teaching many intensive seminars.

He has also given lessons for students of knowledge in Yemen, Kuwait, UK, Ukraine and other countries via telelink.

Furthermore, he takes time out to answer questions that are sent to him from various ***sites on the Internet.

His Worship

He awakens every night without fail two hours before Fajr to perform late night prayers. He fasts every Monday and Thursday. He completes the recitation of the Qur’***257;n every 10 days.

His students

He started teaching from as early as half a century ago, and since then, many students have graduated under his supervision, the exact number being too great to count. From those students, many of them have become professors in various colleges of Isl***257;mic sciences across the country while others have become judges and well-known callers to Isl***257;m.

After All***257;h (swt) facilitated some of the latest modern technologies, such as the internet, it has become possible for many students of knowledge to follow and benefit from his knowledge live via the ***site www.liveislam.net.

The current Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia is also one of his students.

Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil

Sh. al-Barr***257;k has tremendous efforts to his credit in enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and advising and writing to people in positions of authority, and in rectifying people’s relationships. He is known for warning against innovations and other forms of sin and deviation. He has many fat***257;w***257; and articles in that regard, and he has participated with some other mash***257;yikh in issuing various bay***257;ns or advices to the Muslims at large.

His concern for the Ummah and Its Affairs

The Shaykh, may All***257;h preserve him, has great concern for the affairs of Muslims of all over the world. He follows their news and he feels great sorrow and pain at the calamities that strike them. At times of hardship, he hastens to pray to All***257;h for them and he invokes All***257;h against their enemies. He also exerts his efforts in advising them and providing them guidance.

The Scholars’ Praise for Him

Sh. ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z b. B***257;z said: ‘He is a man oft-guided (by All***257;h) to the truth’.

And he used to have a very high status in the eyes of al-‘All***257;mah ibn Uthaym***299;n (May All***257;h have mercy on him). At the end of his life, when Shaykh al-Munajjid asked him who we should refer to for knowledge and fatw***257; after his death, he mentioned Sh. S***257;lih al-Fawz***257;n and Sh. al-Barr***257;k.

Al-‘All***257;mah Abdull***257;h b. Jibreen and al-‘All***257;mah ‘Abd al-‘Az***299;z al-R***257;jih***299; stated while clarifying a fatw***257; of the Shaykh:
‘We have the fatwa of our noble Shaykh, al-All***257;mah ‘Abd al-Rahm***257;n b. N***257;sir al-Barr***257;k....

Then they went on to say: ‘and we know well the leading status of our Shaykh in the religion and his (lofty) status in the Ummah and the confidence of the Muslims in his knowledge and fatw***257;...’

They also described the Shaykh as an ‘great pious scholar (‘***256;lim Rabb***257;n***299;)’.

When al-‘All***257;mah S***257;lih al-Luhayd***257;n (the former Chief Justice) was asked about the Shaykh, he replied, ‘‘Undoubtedly, Sh. Abd al-Rahm***257;n b. N***257;sir al-Barr***257;k is an outstanding individual from what I know in respect to his religion, knowledge, understanding and piety.’

Al-‘All***257;mah Abdull***257;h al-Ghunaym***257;n and al-‘All***257;mah Abd al-Rahm***257;n b. S***257;lih al-Mahm***363;d said concerning the Shaykh, ‘‘And that which we believe is that the Shaykh, may All***257;h preserve him, is amongst the greatest people of knowledge and ijtih***257;d in this era.’

Al-‘All***257;mah S***257;lih al-Fawz***257;n has also spoken in defense of the Shaykh’s verdicts on more than one occasion.

And until now senior students and scholars, amongst them members of Hay’at Kib***257;r al-‘Ulam***257;’, judges and lecturers in the universities attend the Shaykh’s lessons.

His writings

Although the shaykh is fully capable of authoring works in a number of diverse disciplines, he has preferred not to do so, dedicating all his time to teaching and answering questions.

During the years the Shaykh has explained a large amount of books in his lessons. Many of these lessons have been recorded however, the majority of the lessons have not.

The following is a list of some of the publications coming from the shaykh over the years:

1.A Commentary on Tadmur***299;yyah by ibn Taym***299;yyah
2.A Response Concerning ***298;m***257;n and Its Nullifiers (Jaw***257;b fil ***298;m***257;n wa Naw***257;qidih)
3.The Muslim’s Stance Concerning Differing Opinions (Mawqif al-Muslim Min al-Khil***257;f)
4.Comments on the Aq***299;dah Mistakes in al-Fath al-B***257;r***299; (Al-Ta'l***299;q***257;t 'Al***257; al Mukh***257;laf***257;t al-'Aqadiyyah f***299; Fath al-B***257;r***299;)
5.A Commentary on al-Was***299;t***299;yyah (Tawd***299;h Maq***257;sid al-W***257;sit***299;yyah)
6.Sharh al-‘Aqidah al-Tah***257;w***299;yyah
7.Tawd***299;h al-Maqs***363;d Min Nazm Ab***299; D***257;w***363;d
8.Notes on Nawaw***299;’s Forty Had***299;th (Al-Faw***257;’id al-Mustanbatah Min al-Arba’***299;n al-Nawaw***299;yyah)
9.Comments on al-Qaw***257;’id al-Muthl***257;
10.Sharh al-‘Aq***299;dah al-D***257;l***299;yyah
11.A Commentary on Kalimat al-Ikhl***257;s by ibn Rajab

There are many other works that he has written or explained and which are close to be being published as well.

May All***257;h bless Sh. al-Barr***257;k in his age and extend his life in obedience of All***257;h and give him the ability to continue benefiting the Muslims. All***257;h is the One Who Hears and Answers prayers.