When Ibn Baaz Lost his Eyesight

 

“Shaikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Humoodi mentioned a story to me about His Eminence, Sheikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz’s mother, so I asked him to write it which he did and for which I am grateful, dated 11/10/1421.  Here is the text of the letter:

الحمد لله وحده، والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده

Thereafter, at the request of my brother ’Abdul-Aziz ibn ’Abdullah as-Sadhaan that I write down for him the story of what happened to our father, His Eminence, Sheikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah’s Mercy be on him, and on our parents and all Muslims, [I present the following].

’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir ibn Jaabir from Riyadh told me that the Sheikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, lost his eyesight at the prime of his youth. His mother’s residence, and she was from the family of Huzaim, was in a district called Dikhnah, to the east of al-Hakm Palace. She used to have a neighbour who was the wife of Prince ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Turki Aal-Su’ood.

 [One time] the Prince’s wife visited her and Shaikh ’Abdul-’Aziz [then only a youth] was sitting beside his mother who was crying over him. So she asked her, ‘Why are you crying, Yaa Umm ’Abdil-’Aziz?’ So she replied that ’Abdul-’Aziz [Ibn Baaz] has lost his eyesight and that who [now] would look after his affairs?

So she said to her, ‘Crying will not bring anything back. Instead, seek Allaah’s Aid and perform ablution and pray two rak’ahs to Allaah and ask Him that just as He has taken his sight that He give him knowledge [in its place] which will benefit him and the Muslims.’

And Allaah answered his mother’s supplication.

And Allaah is the One who grants success.

Was-Salaamu ’alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu.

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Hamoodi.’”

(Al-Imaam Ibn Baaz, Duroos wa Mawaaqif wa ’Ibar, p.114)