Page 28 - Liwa18-E

Ali Mohamed Al Matroshi

man’s son), because he was born when his father had reached a ripe old age. He was
supported and raised by his eldest half-brother Yousif bin Mohammad (who died in
the early 1920s).

Sheikh Abdullah demonstrated his intellectual ability at an early age. At the beginning,
he was taught some Islamic Shari’a lessons at the hands of Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al
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Sa’eedi and Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdullah Abu Al Huda .
After he completed the study of the Qur’an and learned reading and writing just before
the outbreak of World War I, he joined Al Taymiyah Al Mahmoudiyah School in
Sharjah established in 1907 by the pearl merchant Ali bin Mohammad Al Mahmoud.
Being a brilliant boy and a quick learner, he was included in the first student exchange
group from the said school to be sent to Qatar to study at Al Athariya School under
the Najdi jurist Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz Al Mane’ Al Waheebi (died 1965)
who lived in Qatar during WWI.

• Taking Charge of the Judiciary and Fatwa:
Sheikh Abdullah and his colleagues returned from Qatar after studying for nearly
seven years. He gained favor with the ruler of Ajman, Sheikh Humaid bin Abdul
Aziz Al Nu’aimi (1910-1928), then with his successor, Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al
Nu’aimi (1928-1981). Ibn Al Sheibah (as he was known) had been a trusted confidant
and a close friend of Sheikh Humaid.

He took charge of the Judiciary in the Emirate since the mid-1940s after Sheikh
Abdul Kareem Al Bakri moved to Sharjah. He used to work as a merchant and in the
pearl trade beside his job as a judge because judges then did not get a stipend from
the government.

After the formation of the Union, he was appointed director of the Islamic Affairs and
Awqaf (Endowments) Office in Ajman, despite exceeding the statutory retirement
age, due to his high religious status in the Emirate. He remained in office nine years
until he became too frail and too old to work. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammad died
in 1987.

• Building Al Sheibah’s Library:

Sheikh Abdullah began to build the first nucleus of his library after his graduation
from the Al Athariya School in Qatar as he brought back with him some books from
that school.

In 1935, he accompanied Ajman ruler Sheikh Rashid on pilgrimage to Mecca and had
an audience with the late King Abdul Aziz Al Saud to wish him well after surviving

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