The Shaykh's full name was Abu 'Abdullah Hammoud ibn 'Abdullah ibn Hammoud ibn 'Abdur-Rahman at-Tuwayjiri from the the tribe of Bakr ibn Wayl Batn from Rabi'ah in Saudi Arabia. He was born in the city of Al-Majma'ah on Friday 15 of Dhul-Hijjah 1334H (October 15, 1916CE) and his father died in the year 1342H (1924CE) when he was eight years old.
As a boy, Hammoud at-Tuwayjiri began reading at the hand of Shaykh Ahmad as-Sani' in the year 1342H, just days before the death of his father. He learned, at the Shaykh's hand, the fundamentals of reading and writing and he memorized the Qur'an at the age of eleven. He also learned from the book "Al-Usul ath-Thalathah" by Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Wahab (may Allah have mercy upon his soul). He began learning the book "Al-Fiqh al-Akbar" with Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz al-'Anawi the Judge of Al-Majma'ah and had mastered it at the age of 13. He learned many sciences and arts by his thirties; Tafsir, Hadith, Tawhid, Fiqh, Language, History, Literature and others. He had committed to memory a number of Islamic texts. He earned an Ijaza in narrating the sahih books, and the sunan and the masanid as well as relating the books of Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his student Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim, and in teaching the Hanbali madhhab as well as all of the books of authentic narrations (marwiyat li'l-kutub al-athbat).
Additionally, he studied at the hand of the jurist Al-Allamah Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Muhsin al-Khayal, the Judge of Madinah in grammar and Al-Fara'id. He also studied under his Eminence Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Humayd (may Allah have mercy on his soul) a judge of Al-Majma'ah in language and Al-Fara'id.
The Shaykh became a judge in Rahimah and Ra's at-Tanurah in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia in the year 1368H (1949CE) for six months. He then took over a judgeship in Az-Zulfi in 1369H (1950CE) until the end of 1372H (1953CE) until he took an excuse from judging. He was asked to work for many academic associations and was asked to teach in Al-Ma'had Al-'Ilmiyyah Ibban then in the College of Shari'ah, then in the Islamic University in Madinah, then to work for Dar ul-Ifta, but he refused all of that in order to be free to study, do research, and write.
The Shaykh continued in his pursuit of knowledge and in its dissemination through many writings which were widely accepted by scholars and students in his time. His writings were highly acclaimed by scholars such as Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Ali'sh-Shaykh (may Allah grant him mercy) and Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Humayd ibn Humayd (may Allah grant him mercy) and Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah ibn Baz and Shaykh 'Abdur-Razaq 'Afifi and the Shaykh wrote on diverse topics in 'aqidah and ahkam and adab and as-suluk.
He opposed every one of the atheistic modernists and rebutted them with his pen in defense of the sunnah and sound 'aqidah of Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah and his refutations were published in booklets, articles and in national and international journals. The Shaykh has over fifty writings, forty of which have been published such as: "Encirclemement of the Jama'ah By What Will Come from Trials, Slaughter, and Signs of the Hour", "The Conclusive Refutation Against the Sinful Criminal" [Rebuttal of those who attack Sahih al-Bukhari], "Severe and Sharp Finish To Those Who Would Oppose The Kitab, the Sunnah, the Consensus and the Traditions" [Rebuttal to those who have permitted interest [riba] in the banks], "Affirmation of Allah Being High Above His Creation", "A Heated Word on Ordering the Good and Forbidding Evil", "The Belief of the People of Faith Regarding the Creation of Adam upon the Image of Ar-Rahman", "Clarification And Explanation Of Those Matters Which Many Fall Into Regarding The Confusions Of The Mushrikin" and this work. The Shaykh also provided commentary to many books.
His students were few because of his involvement in the work previously described. However, some of them were 'Abdullah ar-Rumi, 'Abdullah Muhammad Hammoud, and Nasir Tariri. The Shaykh's sons, 'Abdullah, Muhammad, 'Abdul-'Aziz, 'Abdul-Karim, Saleh and Ibrahim learned from him, continued many of his works, and are versed in all of his works. Many callers to Islam have studied with the Shaykh such as Shaykh Safar al-Hawali, Shaykh Isma'il al-Ansari, Shaykh Salman ibn Fahd al-Awdah, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Ibrahim ibn Qasim, Judge of the Grand Council in Riyadh, Shaykh Rabi' ibn Hadi al-Madkhali, Shaykh Saleh 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn Muhammad Ali'sh-Shaykh and others. The Shaykh was known for his high and noble character. He spoke softly and with wisdom, and he was not overly talkative but rather, full of ideas and serious thought. He was also gentle, mild-tempered and one who would sit with his children and the members of his household. He was easy with them without making distinctions between them and always applied fairness between male and female. His fairness was such that upon his death none of his children could say which from among them was more beloved. His kindness and compassion to the young and the womenfolk was evident in his speech and behavior.
He loved to offer advice through practical example in speech and deed. He never withheld advice or shunned consultation even with the youngest of his children and many times he changed what he was writing, or left a matter which he was attending to, or took up what he had left off based upon such consultation or advice. He always upheld Allah's limits whenever he found proof from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and never put before them the word of a friend or the opinion of a scholar. He was as was said of Imam Ash-Shafi'i (rahimahullah) - that when he was convinced of a proof from the sunnah of Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) he would never leave it for what may have been said by people. He always turned to the truth and stopped at that. He would take every step to rectify what he saw that may have been in error when shown what was correct. The eminent muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad Nasir ud-Din al-Albani mentioned his love of the Shaykh, his admiration for him, and praise for him.
Shaykh At-Tuwayjiri was intense in his anger for the sake of Allah upon learning of anyone openly disobeying Allah and His Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) or opposing the sunnah or spreading innovation. He was very strong for the truth and no amount of disparagement from the people of innovation and vain desires could deter him and he fought them with his tongue and his pen. The shaykh was extremely self-reliant and would not ask for help even from those closest to him.
The Shaykh was always in worship of Allah, spending his days in study and research until the sunset and until the night and he would sometimes stay up after 'Isha completing what he had started during the day. This is how he spent his final days. He would take a light nap after Dhuhr prayer. He would spend the final third of the night in Tahajjud whether traveling or at home and did not leave this practice even during his illness until he was unable to stand and he never left the Witr until his dying day, may Allah have mercy upon his soul!
The Shaykh took to heart the advice of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) to his companions (radiallahu 'anhum) and never neglected fasting three days of each month until the time he was unable to do so due to illness near the end of his life. He regularly fasted during the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, six days in Shawwal or 'Ashura and other times. He was also regular in doing Hajj and 'Umrah and indeed would go on 'Umrah every year especially in Ramadhan. He would take half of the year in Makkah with his sons. He would constantly recite the Qur'an in any position until he would do work while reciting and would also complete the Qur'an every seven days except in Ramadhan when he would do so every three days. He would recite nearly four 30ths [Ajza] in his nightly standing in prayer.
His final illness began during the last three years however he concealed this up until the last year when it became more intensified. He was hospitalized three times and the last time just two days before his death. In his final illness he was patient and content with that which Allah had decreed for him until he passed away in the final hour of Tuesday, 5th of Rajab 1413H (December 30, 1992CE). May Allah grant him the widest mercy and give him the best abode in the Paradise and put him in the company of the Prophets, the Siddiqin, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. Amin.
The prayer for him was made after Salat ul-Dhuhr on Wednesday 6 Rajab 1413H (December 31, 1992CE) in Masjid ar-Rajihiyy in Riyadh and he was buried in the An-Nasim graveyard. His funeral was attended by masses who filled the masjid and every street and path leading to it along with many callers, scholars, and notables with Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah ibn Baz leading the prayer. The Shaykh was eighty seven years, six months and twenty days old at the time of his death. From Allah we come and to Him do we return.
(s) Adapted from a eulogy by 'Abdul-Karim ibn Hammoud at-Tuwayjiri
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