The aider of Tawhid and Sunnah Imam Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad رحمه الله تعالى (d. 1803) was the second ruler of the first Saudi State and son of Imam Muhammad bin Sa’ūd رحمه الله تعالى .
He was also the son-in-law of Sheikh Muhammad’ bin Abdul Wahhab al Tamimi رحمه الله تعالى. He ruled from 1765 until 1803.
During his reign, the domain of the House of Sa’ūd extended into Riyādh with Abdul Aziz’s victory there.
This victory allowed the House of Sa’ūd to rule all of Nejd. His military success and orthodox approach to religion won him great support throughout Arabia .
Their standing was also boosted by Imam Abdul Aziz’s practice of holding open meetings where tribal elders could meet with him, allowing access to their ruler.
The Imaam Abd al-‘Aziz رحمه الله تعالى took over the leadership in 1179H after the death of his father, and he established the call to monotheism. He was described by Sheikh Ibn Ghannaam al-Ahsa’i رحمه الله as a righteous man, fearful of Allaah, plentiful in dhikr, kind and merciful to his subjects, and he would not leave the mosque after the Fajr prayer until the sun had risen and he would prayer the forenoon (al-Duhaa prayer).
He was very charitable to his subjects. He also sent many letters and short treatises to the scholars, judges and leaders, many of which are in print version and which will be presented in other articles inshaa’Allaah.
What concerns us in this article is his death. He was martyed in the year 1218H on Monday, 22nd of Rajab by a Iraqi who was from the town of of A’amarah in South Iraq .
Imaam Abd al-‘Aziz رحمه الله was in prostration in the well-known mosque of al-Tarif in al-Dir’iyyah. Lutf Allaah Jihaaf writes in his book (Durar Nuhoor al-Hoor al-Ayn Bi Seerah al-Imaam al-Mansur, Sanaa, Yemen, 1st edition, p. 838):
That which has been transmitted to us regarding the killing of Imam Abd al-‘Aziz is that a man from the Iraqis, from the (area of the) amarah reached al-Dir’iyyah, and began lying in wait for the activities of Abd al-Aziz and he used to wait in ambush, for an opportunity to kill him using deception, but he was not able to.
Then eventually, he came close to the place in which he (Abd al-Aziz) would pray in the mosque, and prayed besides him during the Asr (afternoon) prayer. While he (Abd al-‘Aziz) was in prostration, he (the iraqi) took out a knife and plunged it into him, and so he died …
Imam Abd al Aziz’ in his short treatise al-Risalah al-Diniyyah Fee Ma’naa al-Ilaahiyyah (A Religious Treatise on the Meaning of Ilaahiyyah, 2nd edition, 1429H, Dar al-Tawhid) said (p. 55):
That which is specifically designated upon every Muslim is to direct his concern and and his firm resolves in his affair to his Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, by turning towards Him, relying upon Him, and performing the right of servitude (uboodiyyah) to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Thus, when he dies as a pure monotheist (muwahhid), his Prophet will seek to intercede with Allaah for him. Contrary to the one who neglects and abandons that, and falls into its opposite of turning to other than Allaah and relying upon him, hoping from him in [such affairs] whose existence is only found through Allaah, and by recoursing to that other (person, entity), seeking his intercession, relying upon it, and seeking it (directly) from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) or other than him, aspiring to him with respect to it, abandonding that which is specifically required of him (of soliciting only from Allaah) for which He was created (in the first place).
This is the very act of the Pagans and their very belief…
