My focus this year is on improving my spirituality and becoming a better person. With Allah’s aid, all things are possible.
When a person is performing righteous acts, it means that Allah has chosen the person to be among His righteous servants. My prayer daily is to be among the chosen ones.
This brings me to my personality of the year. He is no other than Sheikh Abdurrazzaq bn Abdulmuhsin Al-Badr. I stumbled upon a lecture of the Sheikh on YouTube at a time when I desperately needed an iman-boost. The rest as they say is history.
Below, I will reproduce the Sheikh’s biography as found on the site abdur-razzq-al-badr.com:
“Abdur- Razzaq bin Abdul- Muhsin al-Abbaad (born 22 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1382H in Zulfi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is a prominent cleric in Saudi Arabia who is a regular lecturer at Al-Masjid an-Nabawee, Madeenah, Saudi Arabia. He is the son of the senior scholar, Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin bin Hamd al-Abbaad.
His full name is Abdur-Razzaq bin Abdil Muhsin bin Hamd bin Abdil Muhsin bin Abdillah bin Hamd bin ‘Umanman Al Abbad Alu Badr. As for Al Abbad being laqb from his great-grandfather, Abdullah bin Hamd. While Alu Badr is a reference to the descendants of the Alu Jalas from the ‘Utrah’ tribe one of the Al-‘Ananiyah tribes. His grandmother was the daughter of Sulaiman bin ‘Abdullah Alu Badr.
He was born on 22/11/1382 H in Zulfi village (300 km north of Riyadh), Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. He grew up in this village and learned to read at a school where he was raised by his own father. His father, Shaykh Abdul- Muhsin Al- Abbaad, is a great scholar of hadeeth who has been recognised by his scholars in this age.
Education and teachers
He studied at the university level especially in the field of ‘Aqeedah until he
received his doctorate. He also obtained knowledge from Saudi Arabia’s great
scholars, including:
His father, the al-Allaamah Shaykh ‘Abdul- Muhsin al-Abbaad hafizhahullaah
Al-Allaamah Ash Shaykh ‘Abdul’ Azeez bin Baaz rahimahullah
Al-Allaamah Ash Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah
Shaykh “Alee Naasir Faqeehee hafizhahullaah
Shaykh ‘Abdullaah al-Ghunaimaan hafizhahullaah
He is one of the teaching team of ‘Aqeedah in the Islamic University of Madeenah, Saudi Arabia. Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq al-Badr is also one of the scholars appointed by the government to be a permanent teacher at Al-Masjid an-Nabawee.”
Upon watching one of his lectures on the benefits of lowering the gaze, my interest was piqued and I rushed through a few other lectures. I liked that his lectures had a focus on personal improvement. The striving of the individual against his base desires, the constant battle with the Shaitan. These are all important in the lives of muslims, particularly those living in this modern age with all the attendant temptations. Also, it aligned with my personal goal of the year i.e. spiritual improvement. In no time, I found myself taking lessons on Ibn Al-Qayyim’s ‘The Ailment and the Medicine’ from the Sheikh online through uploaded YouTube videos!
The impact of the Sheikh’s online lectures on my life was tremendous. it changed my perspective on life and made me understand how to face the battle for my soul while living in today’s world. How to always work on improving my iman. How to avoid committing sins. As it stands, I can never be able to repay the Sheikh for all the benefits I’ve derived from him from afar. What would happen if Allah grants me my wish of meeting the Sheikh in person? Allah knows best.
May Almighty Allah preserve the health of the Sheikh and bless his life and reward him abundantly for all the good he is doing for the religion.
