Abu Talib, the Faithful of Quraysh
Biography of the Author
Full name: sheikh Abdullah bin sheikh Ali bin Hasan bin Mehdi bin Kadhim bin Ali bin Abdullah al-Khunayzi.
Birth-date: 1350 AH. 1931 AD. Birth-place: al-Qal’a/al-Qateef.
He went to a local school and learned the holy Quran, reading, writing and first principles of mathematics in his early years.
He studied the Arabic language with the old style by his brother Muhammad Sa’eed in 1361 AH.
In the same year, he began to write short stories. He liked writing stories. He began to poetize stanzas of not more than two verses. He wrote a book called al-Hadeeqa al-Adabiyya (literature garden). He divided this book into three parts; poetry, prose and tales, in which he used old and modern styles.
In the night of 21/11/1363, AH his kind father left to the better world. It caused him a great shock that affected him so greatly. He felt that he lost the spring of kindness and sympathy, from which he used to ladle.
The loss of his father affected him so much. He elegized him in every occasion with articles and poems but later on he got rid of many of his articles for his style and thinking advanced much better than before.
He published articles in many newspapers and magazines in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt. The first article he published was in al-Irfan magazine in 1368 AH.
He tried to work in trade for about one year but he did not succeed. His loss in trade was because of his indulgence and leniency in getting back his debts besides that he had no commercial tendency. He was obliged to close his shop after the loss.
The costs of life forced him to look for a job where he could not devote himself to the study that his father had wished for him. He did not find any way except to join a government job. He worked in this job for more than twenty years.
In 1390, AH, he left his country to Iraq and after some months, his wife and children joined him there. He lived in the holy Najaf. He bought a house and kept on the religious study. He studied the books that were taught in the advanced stages for he thought that he was not in need of studying the books taught in the primary stages. In fact, he was able to teach those books himself. He taught many students some of those books.
After this stage, he attended the highest level of study near Imam Sayyid Abul Qassim al-Khoo’iy, who had a good relation with him and took much care for him. He (Sayyid Abul Qassim) often appreciated him and entrusted him with many duties like answering some asking of people for the legal fatwas, answering some of the letters and some other jobs, which he was fit for.
In 1401, AH, he went to his country to visit his relatives and friends but his family remained in Najaf. The war between Iraq and Iran had broken out two months ago. He couldn’t come back to Iraq. He stayed there for nearly one year without being able to come back. Then his family became obliged to go back to the home country. He settled down in his country performing his religious and national duties.
He taught many people before his emigration to Iraq, during his emigration and after coming back to his country.
Here are some names of those, who were taught by him in Najaf and al-Qateef:
a. Ordinary people: Sa’eed al-Khabbaz, Muneer al-Khabbaz, Muhammad al-Awami, Haydar al-Awami, Majeed ash-Shakhoor, Mehdi ash-Shu’la and Hashem al-Khabbaz.
b. Sheikhs: Mansoor Musa Tahir, Muhammad Abdullah Kadhim, Nizar Sumbul, Dhiya’ Sumbol, Abdullah Sumbol, Muhammad Muhammad Husayn, Sadiq al-Maqeeli, Mehdi al-Awazim, Abdul Adheem ash-Sheikh, Muhammad Obaydan, Abbas al-Anki, Abbas al-Mahrooss, Muhammad Ali al-Bayyabi, Hasan as-Saffar, Ibraheem al-Hammood, Sa’d Abus Sa’ood and others.
His works
Thikra (memory of) Imam al-Khunayzi (his first work).
Thikra az-Za’eem (leader) al-Khunayzi.
Abu Talib; the faithful of Quraysh.
Ada’una (our performance).
Dhaw’un fid Dhil (a light in the shadow).
Nasseem wa Zawba’a (breeze and hurricane).
Madameek Oqadiyya, in two volumes.
Zahrat (flowers), a collection of poetry.
Short stories.
10.Suwar min al-Hayat (scenes from the life).
11.The rest of Madameek Oqadiyya.
12.Ibnul Muqarrab: the revolutionary poet.
13.Al-Harakat al-Fikriyya (the intellectual movements) in al-Qateef.
14.La Ikrah (no coercion).
15.Al-Mar’a binadhra Islamiyya (Woman according to the Islamic view).
16.Praying and Fasting during travel according to the Quran and the Sunna.
17.Autobiography.
18.Ad-Du’a wel Akhlaq fee Madrasat Ahlul Bayt (praying and morals according to the school of Ahlul Bayt).
19.Alaq min ath-Thikrayat (a shine of memories).
20.As-Sayyid as-Sabzawi Irfaniyyen (mystically).
21.Qitaful Masjid (the fruits of the mosque).
22.A collection of different studies and articles, and other works like editing his father’s books and other famous books.