Muhammad Aman al-Jami, also known as Abu Ahmad, was an Ethiopian-Salafi scholar who taught in Saudi Arabia.
Early life and education Al-Jami completed secondary school at the Educational Institute of Riyadh. Following this, he enrolled in its College of Shariah, from which he graduated in 1960. In 1974, he earned his master's degree in Shariah from the University of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan. Soon after, he completed a doctorate in Shariah from Dar al-Uloom, Cairo University.
Biography Life in Ethiopia Al-Jami was born on November 30, 1930, in Harari Province, Ethiopia. He began his Islamic Education by memorizing the Quran. After this, he began to learn Islamic Jurisprudence in the Shafi'i madhhab and studied the Arabic language with Shaykh Muhammad Amin al-Harari. After these studies, he left his home village and migrated to a nearby village where he met Sheikh Abdul-Karim al-Ethiopi. The two of them then attended the lectures of Sheikh Musa al-Ethiopi in the village and studied the book "Nudhum al-Zuhd" by Ibn Raslan with him and Minhaj al-Talibeen by Imam al-Nawawi with Sheikh Abadir al-Ethiopi.
Migration to Saudi Arabia Following these events, al-Jami and Abdul-Karim began a journey to migrate to Saudi Arabia. They left their village and traveled to Somalia, where they boarded a ship towards Aden, Yemen. After reaching Yemen, they travelled on foot until they reached Hudaibah, where they fasted the Month of Ramadan. After this, they continued on foot until they reached Makkah.Al-Jami, Muhammad Aman. “About the Author.” Islam in Africa Throughout History, Authentic Statements Publishing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2017, pp. 9–16.
Life in Saudi Arabia After arriving in Makkah in 1949, al-Jami completed the Hajj pilgrimage and started studying in the classes of Masjid al-Haram where he was introduced to the Salafi Movement. Here, he also met the Saudi scholar, Ibn Baz, with whom he travelled to Riyadh to study in its Islamic Educational Institute in the early 1950s. There, he studied alongside Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbad and Ali al-Muhanna, a former supreme judge of Madinah. He also studied with and spent time with the former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim.
Some scholars he benefitted from are:
Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Afriqi Sheikh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin al-Shanqiti Sheikh Abd al-Razzaq Afifi Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Sa'di Sheikh Muhammad Khalil Harras Sheikh Abdullah al-Qarawi
Students From the students that al-Jami taught and influenced include and are not limited to:
Sheikh Rabi' al-Madkhali Sheikh Zayd ibn Hadi al-Madkhali Sheikh Ali Nasir Faqihi Sheikh Salih al-Suhaymi Sheikh Bakr Abu Zayd
Works
He is a prominent author and lecturer, who has written books such as:
As-Sifaat-ul-Ilaahiyyah fil-Kitaab was-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah fee Daw-il-Ithbaat wat-Tanzeeh Adwaa alaa Tareeq ad-Dawah ilaal-Islaam Al-Muhaadarah ad-Difaaiyyah an-is-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyyah Haqeeqat-ud-Dimuqratiyyah wa annahaa laisat minal-Islaam Haqeeqat-ush-Shooraa fil-Islaam Al-Aqeedat-ul-Islaamiyyah wa Taareekhuhaa Nidhaam-ul-Usrah fil-Islaam
Books that he has explained and taught are:
Tajreed al-Tawheed (by Al-Maqrizi) Usool al-Thalatha (by Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab) Shurut al-Salah (by Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab) Usool al-Sitta (by Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab) al-Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah (by Ibn Taymiyyah) al-Qawaid al-Muthlaa (by al-Uthaymin)
See also
Rabi' al-Madkhali Muhammad Sa'id Raslan List of Atharis
References