Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al al-Sheikh ibn Baz

Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz was born in Riyadh in 1330 AH (1910 CE) into a family known for its piety and scholarship. He began his Islamic education at a young age, memorizing the Quran and studying under the leading scholars of Riyadh, including Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Latif Al al-Sheikh and Sheikh Saad ibn Hamad ibn Atiq. At approximately twenty years of age, he lost his eyesight completely due to an illness, but this did not diminish his extraordinary commitment to learning and teaching. Instead, he developed a remarkable memory and an even deeper reliance on oral transmission of knowledge — qualities that would define his scholarly career for the next six decades.

Ibn Baz held numerous prestigious positions throughout his life. He served as a judge in the Al-Kharj region, then as a professor and later vice-chancellor of the Islamic University of Madinah (1961-1975), where he helped shape the institution into one of the most respected Islamic universities in the world. In 1975, he was appointed head of the Department of Scholarly Research and Ifta, and in 1993, he was elevated to the position of Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and head of the Council of Senior Scholars — the highest religious authority in the Kingdom.

His contributions to Hajj scholarship are particularly significant. Every Hajj season, he would issue detailed guidelines for pilgrims, addressing contemporary questions about the rituals with clarity and compassion. He was known for his accessibility — ordinary Muslims could call his office and receive direct answers to their religious questions, a practice that was revolutionary for its time. His Hajj-related rulings covered everything from the proper method of entering Ihram to the permissibility of using modern conveniences during the pilgrimage, always balancing fidelity to the Sunnah with practical ease for the pilgrim. He passed away on May 13, 1999 (27 Muharram 1420 AH) in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia, and his funeral prayer was attended by hundreds of thousands at the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, a testament to the profound impact he had on the Muslim world.