Bin Awad al Maghamsi was born in 1963 in Al Madinah Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He grew up and was educated in the Medina region. He attended King Abdul Aziz University where he graduated in Arabic language and Islamic studies. He then studied under a number of Islamic scholars such as Mohammed Attia Salem, Abu Bakr Aljazairi, Saleh Mohammed Ibn Othaymeen, and Ibn Baaz.
Career
He became Educational Supervisor in the Arabic Language Department in the General Directorate of Education in Al-Madina Al-Munawara circa 1991. Several years later he became a member of the Islamic Awareness Commission for Hajj. In 1422H he was appointed as Khatib at King Abdul Aziz Mosque in Al-Madina Al-Munawara, and worked there for several years. In 1426H he became a member of the International Commission on Scientific Signs in Quran & Sunnah. He became imam of the Mosque of Quba in Al-Madina Al-Munawara circa 2006. He was appointed as the official mufti for Saudi Arabia Television Channel 1 the next year. He became General Manager for the Center of Research and studies in Al-Madina Al-Munawara circa 2010. He was appointed lecturer at the Superior Institute of Imams and Orators in Taibah University circa 2011. He has made many contributions and lectures on different Arabic and Gulf countries' satellite channels. Al Maghamsi has been described as having close connections with King Salman. According to Foreign Policy magazine,
The new Saudi king recently served as head of the supervisory board for a Medina research center directed by Maghamsi. A year after Maghamsi’s offensive comments , Salman sponsored and attended a large cultural festival organized by the preacher. Maghamsi also advises two of Salman’s sons, one of whom took an adoring “selfie” with the preacher last year.
Works
Recordings of his weekly lessons of interpretation in the Quba mosque in Medina have been released in five albums under the title Reflections verses. Sheikh Saleh al Maghamsi has also monthly classes in Jeddah.
Website
Al-Rasekhoon fi Al-Elm is the official website of Saleh Bin Awad Al Maghamsi. According to the site, its name comes from a verse of the Quran, and aims to explicate the meanings of the Quran without neglecting the Sunna.
TV programs
Pros of interpretation — a weekly program in the interpretation, on Al-Majd channel.
Bahrain Complex — thirteen half-hour episode series on Al-Majd channel; recorded in three days
Secretary place — on the Qatari channel every Wednesday
Tafseer — on Noor Dubai channel
Views and controversy
On March 27, 2012 on Qatar Television, Al-Maghamsi stated that although "Osama bin Laden's organization" did great harm to the Muslim nation he "has more sanctity and honor than any infidel"—infidel being defined as “Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, apostates, and atheists”. He has been accused by the conservative business newspaperInvestors Business Daily of anti-semitism. On the controversy over whether women may be allowed to reveal their faces in public, i.e. need not wear a niqāb, Al-Maghamsi said it is "always better to be modest though he admitted that not all scholars agree that women should not reveal their faces". Al-Maghamsi has also come out in favor of "taking care of historical mosques", stating that such a practice is not unorthodox but religious and an act of worship.
