Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh

Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh is a member of a noted family of Saudi religious scholars, the Al ash-Sheikh.{{cite book|title=Shari'a Law in Commercial and Banking Arbitration|last=Baamir|first=Abdulrahman Yahya|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4094-0377-7|page=29 (n. 87)}} He was born in Diriyah in 1948 and was educated by his father, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh former and the first Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. He also studied the interpretation of the Quran and jurisprudence principles with the late Sheikh Abdulrazaq Afifi. He attended the Shariah College in Riyadh (later renamed Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sharia in 1975. He then studied Sharia at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and returned to Saudi Arabia to obtain a doctorate degree in 1987.{{cite web |url=http://www.shura.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/ShuraEn/internet/CV/Abdullah+Bin+Mohammed+Bin+Ibrahim+Al-Sheikh/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215044204/http://www.shura.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/ShuraEn/internet/CV/Abdullah+Bin+Mohammed+Bin+Ibrahim+Al-Sheikh |url-status=dead|archive-date=15 December 2009 |title=H.E Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh |publisher=Majlis ash-Shura, Government of Saudi Arabia |accessdate=15 July 2011 }} He earned his PhD degree in Fiqh from Imam Mohammed bin Saudi University in 1987.

After obtaining his doctorate, Al ash-Sheikh became a lecturer and professor in the Sharia College of Imam Muhammed bin Saud Islamic University until his appointment as minister of justice. in November 1992.{{cite book|title=The Middle East and North Africa 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CfBKvsiWeQC&pg=PA949|year=2002|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-85743-132-2|page=949}}{{cite web|title=The Council of Ministers|url=http://www.saudia-online.com/Government%20Council%20of%20Ministers.htm|work=Saudia Online|accessdate=8 September 2012}} He replaced Mohammed bin Jubair as minister. On the instructions of the King, he drew up the judiciary law of 2007. These reforms envisaged the creation of specialized courts to operate in parallel with the traditional sharia courts, particularly in areas of commercial litigation. In effect, the reform may allow certain cases to be judged without reference to Sharia. Another important aspect of the reform was the creation of a Supreme Court. The laws covering the judicial reforms were passed in October 2007, but implementation was slow.{{cite news|title=Tentative steps in Saudi Arabia: The King of Saudi Arabia shows some reformist credentials|url=http://www.economist.com/node/13134598|newspaper=The Economist|date=17 February 2009|accessdate=9 July 2011}}

Al ash-Sheikh announced in July 2008 that he had submitted a plan of action for the judiciary reforms to the King, but little was heard further until it was announced in 2009 that he would cease to be minister of justice in a major cabinet reshuffle. He was replaced by Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa as justice minister on 14 February 2009. It was reported that King Abdullah's objective in the reshuffle was to replace conservative incumbents with younger, more progressive candidates.{{cite web|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-27/world/saudi.prince_1_saudi-king-crown-prince-saudi-press-agency?_s=PM:WORLD|title=Saudi king appoints successor's successor to throne|date=27 March 2009|work=CNN |accessdate=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126164915/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-27/world/saudi.prince_1_saudi-king-crown-prince-saudi-press-agency?_s=PM%3AWORLD|archivedate=26 January 2012}} It was also stated that he was one of the conservatives in the cabinet replaced.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/16/saudi.female.modernization/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD|title=Analysis: Female minister just one of Saudi king's steps forward|date=16 February 2009|work=CNN |access-date=16 July 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118035513/http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-16/world/saudi.female.modernization_1_king-abdullah-saudi-arabia-saudi-society?_s=PM%3AWORLD |archive-date=18 January 2012}}

Later, he was appointed chairman of the Majlis ash Shura in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.saudiembassy.net/latest_news/news02140908.aspx|title=Shura Council members appointed|date=14 February 2009|work=Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington D.C.|accessdate=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028012920/http://saudiembassy.net/latest_news/news02140908.aspx|archivedate=28 October 2011}}

He is a member of Council of Senior Ulema and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

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Category:20th-century Saudi Arabian politicians

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Category:Al-Azhar University alumni

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