Assim Al-Hakeem

Assim Al-Hakeem
Sheikh Assim bin Luqman al-Hakeem (born 23 November 1962) is a Saudi Arabian Islamic preacher and a social media personality of Indonesian descent. He mostly preaches in English and is known for his fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic texts.
Early life and education
Al-Hakeem was born on 23 November 1962 in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Al-Hakeem was raised in a religious family of Indonesian descent. At the age of 12, he and his family moved to Jeddah. From a young age, he was interested in Islamic studies. He finished high school in 1980 and continued his higher education at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. However, he dropped out of KFPUM and moved to Jeddah. In Jeddah, he found a job. Later, he continued studying at King Abdulaziz University, majoring in English literature, and graduated in 1987 with a BA in linguistics. He then continued a higher degree in Islamic studies at Umm al-Qura University in 1998. Al-Hakeem also studied books by Sheikh ibn al-Uthaymin for several years.
Activities
Al-Hakeem began his career as a high school English teacher in 1988. He has been an imam of a mosque in Jeddah for the last 20 years, where he delivers Friday prayer weekly sermons and lectures on various Islamic sciences.
Assim al-Hakeem preaches in English and regularly delivers Islamic English programs on social media channels, such as Questions and Answers (ASK HUDA), Umdatul Ahkaam, Youth Talk, and Mercy to the Worlds. He also preaches on TV and radio channels such as Huda TV, Zad TV, Peace TV, Iqraa, and Saudi 2.
Views
On Islamic practices
Islamic recitation as therapy
Al-Hakeem has said of the Islamic practice of ruqyah, a form of incantation associated with the exorcism of evil spirits in Islam, that "it is the recitation of the Qur'an, seeking of refuge in Allah, remembrance and supplications that are used as a means of treating sicknesses and other problems, as the Qur'an is a source of healing". He has also advocated reciting the Qur'an over water and then drinking and washing with it as a means of healing.
Limitations of prayer exemptions due to travel
Al-Hakeem has said that, with regards to the Islamic practice of shortening or combining prayer during travel, a person who travels daily or frequently "will not be considered a traveller for the purpose of shortening of Salah and combining them unless a valid reason exists."
Pilgrimage selfies
Al-Hakeem has critiqued Islamic pilgrims taking pictures of themselves while on the hajj, stating: "Taking such selfies and videos defy the wish of our prophet. It is as though the only purpose of this trip is to take pictures and not worship."
On social issues
Political views
In 2013, Al-Hakeem said democracy is "a big lie and it is against Islam". In 2016, the then opposition Maldivian Democratic Party called Al-Hakeem a "fundamentalist preacher" who has used Islam to "justify hatred, excuse the government’s crackdown on dissent, and legitimize authoritarianism".
Al-Hakeem has claimed that all forms of protest are prohibited in Islam.
He does not believe women are allowed to lead.
Women
While acknowledging that disagreement exists among Muslim scholars, Al-Hakeem considers female circumcision recommended and not forbidden or mandatory. He holds that women are not allowed to work in mixed-gender environments.
When asked about the legality of concubinage in Islam Al-Hakeem considered the enslavement of prisoners of war humane, iterated the rights afforded to slaves in Islam, and affirmed the legality of concubinage.
On contemporary themes
Cryptocurrency
Al-Hakeem considers bitcoin haram since it is anonymous, which can be used for money laundering and drug money, and has warned against people using such transactions as the nature of seeking to gain money quickly in such a manner (via a means akin to gambling) is fundamentally un-Islamic.
Personal life
Al-Hakeem said he had Indonesian descent because his grandfather was a native of Medan who worked as a judge in the sultanate at that time. Al-Hakeem's grandfather sent Luqman (Al-Hakeem's father) to Saudi Arabia to study religion, and later he obtained Saudi citizenship; thus, Al-Hakeem was born in and grew up in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
References
1962 births
King Abdulaziz University alumni
Living people
Umm al-Qura University alumni
Saudi Arabian imams
Saudi Arabian people of Indonesian descent