Ibn Baaz … “Before His Death He Woke Up From Sleep …”

Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz said, “Before his death he woke up from sleep and performed ablution and spread out his prayer mat and started to say, ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah’ and ‘Allaahu Akbar,’ and then he tried to go back to sleep again but he felt some difficulty in breathing so we called an ambulance and while we were taking him to the hospital, he died on the way, and we praise Allaah for his Pre-Decree and its execution [al-Qadar wal-Qadaa].”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 119

Ibn Baaz Angry

Shaikh Raashid ibn Uthmaan az-Zahraani said, “A student asked the Shaikh about giving precedence to the saying of a Companion or a student of a Companion over that of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.  So the Shaikh became angry at that statement and struck his head with his hand saying, ‘O so and so!  You have to place the sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on your head [i.e., give precedence to it]!’  Then after a while the Shaikh called that person and said, ‘You must free me from that [i.e., the fact that I became angry, i.e., don't hold it against me], for I did not say that except out of eagerness to establish the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.’”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 229.

Can Someone Reach the Limits of Knowledge?

Sa’d ad-Duwaad said, “One of Ibn Baaz’s students asked him whether a person can reach the limits of knowledge.  So he said, ‘No, by Allaah, if the Companions were alive they would have carried on seeking knowledge until death and if the Shaikh of Islaam [Ibn Taymiyyah] was alive he would have continued to seek knowledge.  And he [i.e., Ibn Baaz], may Allaah have mercy on him, used to find pleasure in his books, [i.e.,] when they were read to him [him being blind].’”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 175.

Ibn Baaz and the Man who Said He Saw the Prophet In a Dream

Dr. Muhammad ibn Sa’d ash-Shuwai’ir said, “A man came who wanted to meet his eminence the Shaikh during one of his regular open sittings after maghrib, so we said to him, ‘You want to speak to him in the sitting?’  He said, ‘No, in private.’ When we told the Shaikh, he said, ‘Let him come.’  He did so and said to the Shaikh, ‘I saw a dream.’  So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘And what was it?’

He said, ‘I saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and so said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allaah!  I have a problem!’  So he said, ‘Ask Shaikh Ibn Baaz and he will solve it for you!”

So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘Write this problem down for us, and what is it [anyway]?’ So the man said, ‘My problem is that I don’t have a residency permit [iqaamah] and I want one and I want you to find work for me!’

So the Shaikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, started laughing and said, ‘Bring a reference from someone, we fear that you did not really see the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.’

So the Shaikh did not reject him despite his lie and deception, and that man never did come back because he never found anyone who would attest to his lie.”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 171.

King Faisal, Ibn Baaz and the Mansion

Dr. Naasir ibn Misfir az-Zahrani said, “One of these well-known, captivating stories about his eminence [Ibn Baaz] occurred in Medinah al-Munawwarah when he was the President of the Islamic University.  King Faisal, may Allaah have mercy on him, visited him and ordered that a mansion/villa be built for his eminence which would be commensurate with his scholarly, religious and social standing.  After it was built they came to the Shaikh to transfer the deeds to his name, but he refused and [instead] said that, ‘The villa will stay registered in the name of the President of the Islamic University, whoever becomes the head of the university, the villa will be his residence.’”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 143.

Ibn Baaz Joking

Fahd al-Bakraan said, “A funny situation which showed his humbleness and joviality, may Allaah have mercy on him, was when we were with his eminence [i.e., Ibn Baaz], may Allaah have mercy on him, and another one of the major scholars.

We were coming out of the Office for Religious Verdicts in [the city of] Taif, so his eminence, may Allaah have mercy on him, was joking with that other Shaikh, saying, ‘O Shaikh so and so, are you still only with one?’ i.e., only one wife?  That Shaikh replied saying, ‘Yes.’  So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘Why haven’t you taken more than one … you scared of her?’ and the Shaikh started laughing and so did we.

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 132.

Ibn Baaz Calming an Angry Visitor Down

Abdullaah ibn Muhammad al-Mu’taaz said, “A man who was angry came to Shaikh Ibn Baaz, trembling and foaming [at the mouth out of anger], so the Shaikh calmed him down, rubbing his head saying to him, ‘Say, ‘Subhaanallaah,’ say, ‘Subhaanallaah,’ remember Allaah, seek refuge with Allaah from the Devil,’ until he calmed him down and gave him what he needed.

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 225.

So Ibn Baaz Touched the Youth’s Chin and Supplicated for Him …

Saalih ibn Rashid al-Huwaymil said, “The person who the following story is about told me himself that one time he left the mosque which Shaikh Ibn Baaz used to pray in and went to him to give him salaam and ask him a question.  This individual had some things which were incorrect like shaving and so on.

The point is that when he went to ask him, the Shaikh was in a hurry and postponed the meeting with him till another time.  [But then] when the car moved off, the Shaikh said to his driver, ‘Go back.’  So the driver took the car back to where the questioner was, and the Shaikh then listened to his question and answered him.

Then the Shaikh [who was blind] touched the questioner’s chin and advised him to let his beard grow and supplicated for the youth.  So that youth said that he never shaved it after that day and that he, by Allaah’s Grace and then through the Shaikh stuck to the path of guidance after that.”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 175.

They Recited, Ibn Baaz Explained and Then They Ate

Shaikh Khaalid ibn Abdur-Rahmaan ash-Shaayi’ said, “And I witnessed a Walimah the Shaikh had been invited to after ishaa.  After he had taken his place he asked those present how they were and was introduced to them, he then said, ‘Who will read something from the Quraan to us?’  So it was as though everyone relied on the next person to read, and thus they gave no answer.  So the Shaikh said, ‘Subhaanallaah!  Why aren’t you desirous of the reward?’  So one of those there read something and after he finished reciting the Shaikh started to explain the excellence of reciting and then he explained the very verses that were recited. He then listened to some questions and answered them.  After which he requested a second person to read, then a third, and he kept explaining the aayahs that were recited until the food was brought.”

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 142.

Ibn Baaz’s Memory

Shaikh Muhammad ibn Abdullaah az-Zain said, “One time I was with Shaikh Saalih an-Nujaidi in Shaikh Ibn Baaz’s office and a discussion took place and I differed with Shaikh Saalih in the issue. So Shaikh Ibn Baaz said, ‘The answer is such and such,’ and he said to me, ‘Shaikh Muhammad, bring such and such a book, and it is in such a place, [bring] the second volume, page such and such [and the answer will be there].’

And it was just as the Shaikh mentioned, which shows his intelligence and the strength of his memory.” [Shaikh Ibn Baaz was blind]

Mawaaqif Mudee’ah, p. 145.