Ahmad bin Umar bin Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf, known as al-Bayti, was a Ba Alawi scholar associated with Tarim and the village of Bayt Maslama in Hadramawt. Al-Mashra al-Rawi records that he was born in Tarim, memorised the Quran and a range of foundational texts, and pursued jurisprudence, Arabic and tasawwuf with leading teachers of his period. Among those named are Ahmad bin Husayn Balfqih, Muhammad bin Ismail Bafadl, Abd al-Rahman bin Shihab al-Din, Abdullah bin Shaykh al-Aydarus, Zayn al-Abidin and Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf al-Aydarus.
He received authorisation to teach and issue legal opinions and became known for instruction in the Shafi’i school. Muhammad bin Abi Bakr al-Shilli, the compiler of Al-Mashra al-Rawi, states in this biography that Ahmad al-Bayti was among the teachers from whom he studied early in life. Muhammad bin Abi Bakr al-Shilli later became a scholar, teacher and the author of the same biographical work.
Ahmad al-Bayti died in 1050 AH and was buried in Zanbal Cemetery in Tarim. A later scholarly reference identifies him with the same full lineage, describes the al-Bayti nisba as connected with Bayt Maslama near Tarim, and likewise gives his death as 1050 AH.
Scholarly connections
Student: Abdullah bin Husayn bin Muhammad Bafaqih (Mawla Aidid). The mapped biography identifies this scholar among the student’s teachers.
Teacher: Abd al-Rahman bin Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Aydarus al-Saqqaf. Al-Mashra al-Rawi names Ahmad al-Bayti among his students.
Student: Taha bin Umar bin Taha al-Saqqaf. Al-Mashra al-Rawi explicitly names Ahmad bin Umar al-Bayti among Taha’s teachers in Tarim.
Lineage and source note
Primary source: Al-Mashra al-Rawi fi Manaqib al-Sada al-Kiram Al Abi Alawi, volume 2. The mapped biography gives Ahmad al-Bayti’s lineage, education, teaching activity and death in 1050 AH, and contains al-Shilli’s direct statement that he studied with him. The identity, al-Bayti nisba and death year are independently corroborated in a scholarly reference citing Khulasat al-Athar. Devotional praise in the primary source is not treated as independent historical evidence.