A Brief Biography of Shaykh Muhammad Al Imaam (hafithahullah)
Translated by Aboo ‘Imraan al-Mekseekee
Originally posted on www.SalafyInk.com

His Full Name:

He is Aboo Nasr Muhammad bin ‘Abdillah bin Husayn bin Taahir bin ‘Alee bin Ghaazee ar-Raymee surnamed with al-Imaam.

His Birth:

He was born in the year 1380 A.H. corresponding to 1960 C.E. in the well known village of as-Sahl a sub district of al-Dhabaarah a district of Kisamah-Reemah.

His Children:

While studying in Dimaaj (Sa’dah) his eminence ash-Shaykh Muhammad got married. Allah blessed him with a beneficial and educated wife from a family known for their goodness and piety. Through her Allah provided him with nine children: Four of them male and five female. As for the names of his sons then there is ‘Abdur-Rahmaan and he is the oldest, ‘Abdullah who is after him, Nasr and he is the one whom the Shaykh has been given the kunyah (surname) of Aboo Nasr, and Yusuf who is the youngest of his sons.

His Activities in Seeking Knowledge:

The Shaykh was brought up in his village and in those days the villages were not like they are now, filled with schools and learning of the Quraan and the like, especially the land of our Shaykh which is Jabaleeyah. Back in those days it was rare for a learned person to go there but these days the affairs have been made easier and teaching has spread in most of the villages wal-hamdullilah.

Our Shaykh began to learn how to read the Quraan in his village, then he went to the city of Ta’iz and began to seek knowledge in one of the institutes of learning for a brief period while still in his adolescence but he saw that what he was learning there was not satisfying him nor gratifying his desire (to seek knowledge) so he headed to Sa’dah with the Tawfeeq of Allah Most High. So the Shaykh remained there seeking knowledge under the hand of Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (rahimahullah) and completed the memorization of the Quraan within close to two months, he continued sitting in the classes and seeking knowledge refusing the stipend the students are given in spite that he had assumed the responsibility of the Imamate and in serving his brothers in the center wherever it be, the Shaykh was strong in remembering, passionate (in learning), quick in memorization, one who preserved how he spent his time, he also memorized during the span of two years in addition to the Quraan: Buloogh-ul-Maraam, ‘Umdatul-Ahkaam, as-Saheehul-Musnad fee Asbaabin-Nuzool authored by the noble Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (rahimahullah). He also memorized the Alfiyyah of Ibn Maalik, the Alfiyyah of al-‘Iraaqee and some portions of Saheeh Muslim and Bukhaaree in addition to studying numerous books of Fiqh, Hadeeth, ‘Aqeedah, and the Arabic language.

After Allah provided our Shaykh with beneficial knowledge he moved to Ma’bar where he currently resides teaching and inviting the people to Allah in Masjid an-Noor. He began teaching while there were no more than seven students of knowledge (present) so he taught them what he saw fit from the beneficial knowledge in addition to helping them memorize the Noble Quraan. He remained upon seeking knowledge, teaching, and calling to Allah and as a result the da’wah began to spread in the different regions of Yemen becoming so widespread in such a short time that many students of knowledge flocked from the east and west of Yemen and from every other place. From these students of knowledge emerged Imaams, Khateebs, and Memorizers of the Quraan, Authors, Researchers, and Those who would set up circles of knowledge along with teaching the people in the various areas (of Yemen).

His Teachers:

The Shaykh (haifthahullah) studied underneath his eminence ash-Shaykh Abee ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Muqbil bin Haadee al-Waadi’ee (rahimahullah).

His Students:

The students of our Shaykh (hafithahullah) number in the thousands, this one sitting with him for a year and then returning to his land, and this one staying longer and this one staying shorter, each one according to his time and energy, and restricting them to a set number is difficult because they-as we mentioned-number in the thousands.