Honorable Sheikh Ahmed Al-Saadi
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
"Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees." (Surah Al-Mujadila, 58:11)
And He, the Most High, also says:
"Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?' Only those who possess understanding will remember." (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:9)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets."
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "This knowledge will be carried by the trustworthy of every generation. They will reject from it the distortions of the extremists, the false claims of the liars, and the misinterpretations of the ignorant."
As we present this brief biography of a respected scholar from the esteemed teachers in the Islamic Sciences Institute – Traditional Scholarly Education Division, we must emphasize that our honorable Sheikh's essence, knowledge, and ethics are greater and more profound than any words written in his praise. May Allah preserve him and benefit us through him and his knowledge. Ameen.
Honorable Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Saadi Al-Dimashqi, may Allah preserve him.
- Name, Lineage, and Background:
Ahmad bin Mohammad Saeed Al-Saadi, of Syrian nationality, born in Damascus to a Damascene family from the Al-Midan neighborhood. His grandfather, Saad Al-Din bin Majid, traces his lineage back to Saad Al-Din Al-Jibawi, which connects to the noble lineage.
Sheikh Ahmad was born in Damascus on 21 Rajab 1393 AH, corresponding to August 19, 1973. He completed all stages of his education there. Known for his strong inclination towards Islamic studies from a young age, Sheikh Ahmad frequented the mosque even before the age of ten despite the challenging circumstances in Syria. He began his pursuit of knowledge in elementary school, attending the lessons of the esteemed Sheikh Sadiq Habannakah at the Manjak Mosque and later at the house of Sheikh Hassan Habannakah and Sheikh Sadiq’s own home. He also attended the hadith lessons of Dr. Mustafa Al-Bugha, who taught Sahih Al-Bukhari at the Al-Ghawwas Mosque in Al-Midan, Damascus. Additionally, Sheikh Ahmad studied hadith terminology from Dr. Al-Bugha, starting with the introduction of Ibn Al-Salah in hadith sciences, and usul al-fiqh through a series of books including "Ghayat Al-Wusul" by Sheikh Zakaria Al-Ansari, followed by "Sharh Tanqih Al-Fusul" by Al-Qarafi, and "Irshad Al-Fuhul" by Al-Shawkani. In his youth, he also attended the lessons of Sheikh Karim Rajih at Al-Mansour Mosque in Al-Midan and later at Al-Hassan Mosque after its opening. Additionally, he attended various scattered lessons from scholars of that time in Damascus, such as Sheikh Hussein Khattab, with whom he regularly studied the explanation of Sahih Muslim at Manjak Mosque.
- Scholarly Studies and Names of the Teachers from Whom He Learned, and Some of the Books He Studied:
Dr. Ahmad studied under numerous esteemed scholars of Damascus. However, his primary Islamic education was under the notable Sheikh Sadiq Habannakah Al-Maydani, from whom he learned various Islamic sciences, particularly Shafi'i jurisprudence. Among the key books he studied in Shafi'i fiqh with Sheikh Sadiq were: "Umdat As-Salik wa 'Uddat An-Nasik" by Ibn Al-Naqib Al-Masri, "Al-Iqna' fi Hall Alfaz Abi Shuja'" by Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini, "Fath Al-Mu'in" by Al-Malibari, "Kifayat Al-Akhyar" by Al-Hisni, "Tuhfat Al-Talibin" by Sheikh Al-Islam Zakaria Al-Ansari, and "Mughni Al-Muhtaj fi Sharh Al-Minhaj" by Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini.
Other prominent scholars from whom he benefited include Dr. Mustafa Al-Bugha, under whom he studied hadith and usul al-fiqh. Key texts he studied with Dr. Al-Bugha in usul al-fiqh included "Ghayat Al-Wusul" by Sheikh Al-Islam Zakaria Al-Ansari, "Sharh Tanqih Al-Fusul" by Al-Qarafi, and "Irshad Al-Fuhul" by Al-Shawkani.
Sheikh Ahmad also attended lessons by several other prominent Damascene scholars without exclusively studying under any of them. These include the prominent Quran reciters Sheikh Hussein Khattab and Sheikh Karim Rajih, Dr. Mohammad Said Ramadan Al-Bouti, Dr. Nuruddin Itr (in tafsir and hadith), Dr. Wahbah Al-Zuhayli (in fiqh), and his brother Dr. Mohammad Al-Zuhayli (in usul al-fiqh), among others. He completed his Quranic reading and was certified by Sheikh Mouloud Al-Maghribi Abu Adnan, a student of Sheikh Muhyiddin Al-Kurdi Abu Al-Hassan.
- Academic Qualifications:
- PhD in Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Principles, 2007.
- Master's Degree in Islamic Jurisprudence and Its Principles, 2002.
- Bachelor's Degree in Sharia, 1997.
- Bachelor's Degree in Arabic Language (Al-Azhar University, Cairo), 2003.
- Educational Qualification Diploma, 2000.
- General Secondary Certificate (Scientific and Literary branches), 1991-1992.
- Books and Publications:
Sheikh Ahmad has authored numerous books and research papers, including:
- "The Rulings of Urbanization in Islamic Jurisprudence".
- "Conditions of the Mujtahid and Their Availability in Contemporary Ijtihad".
- "The Scholar Sheikh Sadiq Habannakah Al-Maydani (His Life, Knowledge, and Poetry)".
- Various works on Arabic language, education, and jurisprudence.
- He has also critically edited several other books.
- Published articles in journals and on the internet, including peer-reviewed jurisprudential articles in several international journals.
- Teaching Experience and Associations:
- Assistant Professor at the Faculties of Theology at Ondokuz Mayıs University and Fatih University in Turkey.
- Lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia, University of Tripoli in Lebanon, and Başakşehir Academy in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Lecturer at the Faculties of Sharia at the Universities of Damascus and Aleppo.
- Islamic Education Teacher in Damascus secondary schools and its religious institutes.
- Arabic Language Teacher for non-native speakers in various institutes and specialized universities.
- Researcher at the Center for Foresight Studies and Research, where he has authored, reviewed, and edited several books for the Mosque Education Project carried out by the center.
- Member of the Islamic Urbanization Association in Damascus.
- Founding Member of the Union of Sharia Sciences Graduates.
- Currently, he is the Acting President of the Union, a member of its Scientific Council, and the supervisor of its university studies across Turkey.