Umar Almuqbil

Education

Born in Ramadan 1392 AH (1972) in Al-Mithnab, he studied with a number of scholars, including Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Yahya ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Yahya, Ibrahim ibn Abdullah al-Lahim and the Pakistani scholar Muhammad Uways Khan. He graduated in 1414 AH (1993–94) from the College of Sharia of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University's Qassim branch, then earned from the same university in Riyadh a master's degree in Sunnah studies in 1421 AH (2000–01), on the fasting hadiths found in the four Sunan but not in the two Sahihs, and a doctorate in 1427 AH (2006) on the method of the hadith master Ibn Mandah.

Teaching and preaching

Appointed a teaching assistant at the College of Sharia in 1414 AH, he rose to associate professor in the Department of Sunnah and its Sciences at Qassim University. He has also served as Friday preacher at the Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Muqbil Mosque and has given lessons and lectures.

Detention

In September 2019 several media outlets reported his arrest after the circulation of a video in which he criticised some activities of the General Entertainment Authority, saying they were stripping society of its identity. The authorities made no official statement on his case. According to the rights group Sanad, he was sentenced to four years in prison and was still being held in early 2025, although his sentence had ended in March 2024.