and that every good—indeed, all good—lies in following the light of this magnificent Qur’an and in taking guidance from this noble Prophet… and so forth.

After this presentation, you should also know that the Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—did not acquire such depth in this field only toward the end of his life. The same firmness is evident in some of his early writings composed before he settled in these lands. One example is what he wrote in his book The Pilgrimage Journey to the Sacred House of Allah. Asked there about the Ahl al-Sunnah position on the divine attributes, he answered in exactly the same manner and at the same level with which he would later articulate the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah on this subject in the final years of his life. May Allah bless him with abundant mercy.

Seventh: The posts and duties he undertook in his homeland

The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—engaged in teaching and issuing fatwas and became well-known for his judicial work. His method on the bench was to have both litigants write a statement expressing their desire to have him adjudicate between them and their acceptance of whatever ruling he might give. He would then instruct the plaintiff to put his claim in writing and would record the defendant’s answer beneath that claim. Next he would write the verdict alongside the claim and the response, after which he would refer the two parties to any shaykh or official they chose so that the ruling could be attested and enforced.

He passed judgment in every matter except cases involving blood or ḥadd penalties, for blood cases had their own court. The French governor in the region would apply retribution in murder cases after a full trial and pleadings. Once the matter had been thoroughly examined, the pleadings concluded, and judgment issued, the decision was presented to two of the country’s scholars for ratification. These two were called the “Blood Committee,” and he—may Allah have mercy on him—was one of its two members.