Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh (1893-1969 CE / 1311-1389 AH) was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, serving from 1953 until his death. A descendant of the renowned scholar Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab, he was raised in the scholarly tradition of his family in Riyadh and studied under the senior scholars of the city, becoming the highest religious authority in the kingdom.

His tenure as Grand Mufti was marked by the institutionalization of religious authority in Saudi Arabia. He was instrumental in establishing the Dar al-Ifta (House of Fatwa), the higher judiciary, and the religious educational system. He played a key role in founding the Islamic University of Madinah and religious institutes across the kingdom. His fatawa addressed the full spectrum of Islamic jurisprudence and contemporary issues, from worship and personal status to modern commercial transactions and governance matters.

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim's religious opinions carried enormous weight and helped define the Saudi state's approach to Islamic governance. He trained a generation of scholars who went on to fill key religious positions in the kingdom, most notably Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz. His collected works and fatawa continue to be referenced in Saudi religious and judicial circles. He passed away in Riyadh as one of the most consequential religious figures in modern Saudi Arabian history.