Fans remember virtues of an imam who led prayers at Jeddah's Masjid Al-Khair for five decades

It’s difficult to explain the qualities of great people. The late sheikh never sought any publicity. However, his funeral was a clear testimony to his popularity and acceptance.

Maha Bint Abood Baashen

Novelist

Saudi Gazette report

SHEIKH Mohammed Bin Abubacker Bin Abdullah Baeshen, the mosque imam who was killed in a traffic accident in Jeddah on Sunday, was a prominent Islamic scholar, educator and businessman.

Sheikh Baeshen was the imam of Masjid Al-Khair in Kandara district for the past five decades. A speeding motorist knocked him down as he was crossing the road to reach the mosque for the Fajr prayer.

Thousands of people took part in the funeral prayer for Sheikh Baeshen. He was buried at the famous Umm Hawa graveyard in Ammariyah district, located just three kilometers away from his house.

Sheikh Baeshen belonged to a family that produced many religious scholars. His grandfather Saeed Bin Mohammed Baeshen was a great scholar.

His lineage goes back to the Qurashis of pre-Islamic Makkah and linked to the first Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.

The family had established Rubat Baeshen in Wadi Duan in the Hadramout province of Yemen to promote knowledge.

“This institution was established about 600 years ago and many Islamic scholars and judges have graduated from there,” said Abood Bin Abubacker Baeshen, a legal adviser and brother of the deceased imam.

Sheikh Mohammed Baeshen was born in Wadi Duan in 1337 AH (1919). He came to Jeddah at the age of 10. He had his education at the city's famous Al-Falah Schools.

Sheikh Hussain Abdul Qader Matar was the school’s director those days and Sheikh Omar Bakr Hefni and Sheikh Abdul Wahab Nashar were his teachers.

Mohammed Baeshen graduated from the school in 1357 AH. Three years later, he traveled back to Hadramout to visit relatives. He also met with a number of scholars in Yemen, including Abdullah Bin Omar Al-Shatiri in Tarim. However, he did not stay in Tarim for long and returned to Wadi Duan in 1367 AH.

“Sheikh Mohammed used to get up early in the morning for prayer and used to perform the Tahajjud prayers. His Qur’an recitation was quite impressive,” said Abood Baeshen. “He used every opportunity to teach people the Qur’an, Sunnah and the Islamic jurisprudence,” he added.

Hussain Baashen, son of the late imam, said his father used to perform Haj every year, even in his last years. “My father was a humble man and he was very kind to the poor and needy. He led an ascetic life although his family was very rich,” Hussain said, adding that he always walked alone to the mosque to lead the prayers despite his old age.

He said his father died after performing Isha and Taraweeh prayers with people at the mosque the previous night.

Novelist Maha Bint Abood Baashen, a niece of the late imam, said: “It’s difficult to explain the qualities of great people. The late sheikh never sought any publicity. However, his funeral was a clear testimony to his popularity and acceptance.”

Huge crowds of mourners turned up at his funeral. People filled the streets surrounding Masjid Al-Khair to offer the funeral prayer for the late sheikh.

Sheikh Mohammed spoke English and French fluently and read books of great scholars of his time, said Maha. “He was kind and liked the language of dialogue. He established a trading company for tea with his relatives and worked several years as its manager and accountant. Sheikh Mohammed lived in his house located in the historical region of Jeddah. He had two sons and four daughters.