The Saudi Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash, the former imam of the Great Mosque of Khamis Mushayt, died in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, yesterday, Saturday.
And his son, Abdul Rahim, announced his death through his account on the “Twitter” website, and said that the prayer for his father will be in the Grand Mosque, on Sunday afternoon.
The name of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash topped the most searched trend on social media.
The cause of his death was not officially announced, but those close to him confirmed that he died of a sudden heart attack, as he passed away in Khamis Mushait.
Who is sheikh Ahmad Al-Hoashi
Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Moaid Al-Hawashi (1955 – died December 10, 2022) was an imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in the city of Khamis Mushait, in southern Saudi Arabia. He was born in the city of Uhud Rufaidah in the year 1374 AH.
Sheikh Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Moaidh bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hawashi Al-Rafaidi Al-Qahtani belongs to a conservative family in the Khamis Mushayt Governorate, in the south of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
At the beginning of his studies, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash studied at Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal Primary School in Khamis Mushait for the first year of his studies, then moved to Al-Khalidiya Primary School in Khamis Mushayt and studied there for two years, then moved to Imam Al-Bukhari Primary School in Khamis Mushait in which he completed the primary stage, then moved to the Institute Al-Alami in Abha, where he met a number of sheikhs and scholars, and received legal knowledge from them.
Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash says (And God has honored me with memorizing the six mothers memorizing meticulously, and I studied them in the Great Mosque, then I memorized what was available to me from the Musnad of Imam Ahmad and some other chains of transmission, then I read the book Jami’ Al-Usool fi Hadiths of the Messenger – the prayers and peace of my Lord be upon him and his family and peace – in eleven volumes I read it in full several times until I memorized it, then I read the book Sharh al-Sunna by al-Baghawi in sixteen volumes and memorized it as well, then I read most of the important interpretations and memorized them, praise and gratitude be to God for his grace and success, in addition to many of the writings of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and his righteous student Ibn al-Qayyim – may they have mercy on them God – and we are still, until now and now, learning and drawing from the enlightening sciences of the Sharia, which God did not command the servant in his life to acquire anything except to acquire from it any of the sciences, and from piety.)
his working life
At the beginning of his career, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash worked as a member of the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in the city of Khamis Mushait for about ten years.
He was appointed as an imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in Khamis Mushait from 1396 AH until Monday 2/3/1439 corresponding to 11/20/2017.
Doing many lectures and meetings throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Awards received by Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi
In the year 1420 AH, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash received the Abha Award as the best imam and preacher from the hands of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King / Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, while he was the governor of the Riyadh region at that time, in the presence of the then governor of the Asir region, Prince / Khaled Al-Faisal, where he was nominated for that award for preserving the mosque Friday and congregation and enjoys a great deal of knowledge, culture, understanding, good expression, choosing topics for sermons and their touch on community issues and directing youth to matters of religion.
His story with terrorism
After the events of September 11, accusations circulated around Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash that he was one of the instigators and supporters of those who support terrorism, so some Western and Arab media professionals raced to conduct press interviews with Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash to prove their claim, including what was reported by Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan published in its issue issued on the eighth June 10, 2006 A.D. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawash said in it
“I have never rejected any media outlet that aims to serve Islam and the country, and about my refusal to receive some American or Australian media professionals, I did not hesitate to receive and came to me nearly three years ago, after the events of September, specifically American journalists or they may be Australians, I do not know their exact nationalities, and they were accompanied by an academic from After the Maghrib prayer in this mosque, the Brotherhood informed me that there was a journalist who wanted to meet me, and I received that journalist and asked me to talk privately, and I noticed confusion evident in him. Indeed, we entered the mihrab room in the mosque, and he was keen to close the door. In three different appearances, all of them bearing his first image, clean-shaven and beard, and the second with no mustache and clean-shaven beard, and the third was the last with a long beard, then he shook the last card in front of my eyes and said to me, I have come to you now from Afghanistan from Osama bin Laden, and immediately I told him the hypocrites in the era of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace Say hello to two types, but you to three types, but come back to me shortly. Its day was a Friday, and there was a lesson after the Maghrib prayer, and I wanted him to attend the lesson in order to talk about him and expose him in front of all the people. The person’s goal is not to obtain media material, but he believed that we were among the instigators and supporters of those who support terrorism after it appeared to us who distorted the image of our country and our scholars and reflected a bad image of Islam, Muslims and our mosques.
Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi’s trip to Medina
After the burning of Ahmed Al-Hawashi’s house and the Great Mosque in Khamis Mushayt, the sheikh stayed at the house of one of his sons and received condolences for the death of his two children, Anas and Tasneem, at the Dhul-Nurayn Mosque in Khamis Mushayt. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Hawashi.
In the meantime, after Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi saw that the fire was deliberate and denied that the cause was an electrical fault, then Ahmed Al-Hawashi decided to leave the southern region and the city of Khamis Mushayt and move to Medina to spend the rest of his life there, saying, “I will move to Medina and my heart is breaking.” Pain and heartbreak for my mosque and my students. The heartbreak for my mosque is not equal to the heartbreak. I lost my son, Anas, who is the most beloved of my children and the closest to my heart, and his sister, Tasneem, but I am happy that they are under the sponsorship of Ibrahim. It binds the hearts of their mother and aunts, and beautiful patience.”
Claims to cancel the decision to leave
After Ahmed Al-Hawashi announced the decision to leave, none of the worshipers except that they burst into tears and surrounded the sheikh to dissuade him from the decision, but the sheikh refused and insisted on leaving. afternoon. The courtyards of the mosque were crowded again with huge numbers of people, more than 3,000 people, and crowds of citizens flocked in cars that closed the roads and passages leading to the mosque, and women left their homes with their children in addition to the elderly and the disabled, and everyone lined up waiting for the return of Sheikh Al-Hawashi after the Maghrib prayer.
As soon as he arrived, he started crying and wailing, and everyone asked him to stay. The event also witnessed the descent of an elderly person “over eighty years of age” at the feet of the sheikh, which made the footnotes weep.. Another fell unconscious, and a number of children rushed to kiss the hand of the sheikh while repeating, “Who teaches us?” The Qur’an is after you, Sheikh.” Al-Hawashi welcomed the crowds and went to perform the Maghrib prayer, promising them well.. At the end of the prayer, the sheikh stopped to give his weekly lesson, announcing that he had reversed his decision and stayed in the area in response to the desire of the attendees.. Then the voices resounded with takbeer and cheers, and smiles rose on the faces of the people mixed with crying and congratulations to each other, and he conveyed Many attendees sent the news to their relatives via mobile messages.
Saad Al-Hajri said, “People need advice and guidance, and Sheikh Al-Hawashi is the best person to provide that, and we thank God that the Sheikh agreed and fulfilled the desire of his fans.”
His visit to Medina
After Ahmed Al-Hawashi’s decision to refrain from leaving the Asir region, Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi and his family were transported on a private plane from Abha to Medina to visit the Prophet’s Mosque.
When Ahmed Al-Hawashi arrived in Medina, the scholars of Medina welcomed him, and many lectures and visits were organized for him. Newspapers published advertisements for Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi’s lectures in the Quba Mosque, and his lectures were broadcast directly from Medina.
Imam of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Mosque
After the completion of the mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Khamis Mushait, the mosque, which has an area of more than 2,000 square meters, can accommodate approximately 4,000 worshipers, and is surrounded by external parking spaces that accommodate approximately 300 cars. It was equipped and built according to the latest specifications. Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, accompanied by Prince Majid, son of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hawashi went to the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Khamis Mushait, and Al-Hawashi led the worshipers as his first sermon after his return to the Asir region.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the reconstruction of Al-Hawashi Mosque
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has approved the reconstruction of the Great Mosque of Khamis Mushait “Sheikh Al-Hawashi Mosque” on its site according to the latest model, provided that it includes a library bearing the names of the two martyrs “Anas and Tasneem.” The mosque will be rebuilt in a modern style. It has three floors and two large lighthouses, and the ground floor will consist of toilets and washbasins for the dead, and the first floor will be allocated for men, while the second floor will be a prayer room for women and can accommodate nearly three thousand worshipers, in addition to housing the imam and the muezzin.
stop him from leading
On Monday 2/3/1439 corresponding to 11/20/2017, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs issued a decision to suspend Ahmed Al-Hawashi from leading the imamate and preaching at the Great Mosque in Khamis Mushayt, based on what is required by the public interest, and assigning Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali Hasan as an imam of religious prayers, and Dr. Fahd bin Saeed Al-Qahtani, a preacher for the Friday prayer.
His writings
The joy of the eyes of the monotheists in the humbled prayer [وصلة مكسورة].
Attempts to assassinate him
On Monday, February 28, 2013, Al-Hawashi survived an assassination attempt after the Fajr prayer and before the rain prayer, when one of the worshipers took out a sharp instrument “dagger” and rushed at him, but Al-Hawashi’s son, “Dr. Muhammad Al-Hawash,” thwarted the attack attempt.
