Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Haddar was a Ba Alawi scholar and educator born in 1340 AH, corresponding to 1921, in the village of Azzah near al-Bayda in Yemen. Muwasala records his lineage through Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf and al-Faqih al-Muqaddam to Imam Ahmad al-Muhajir.
He studied with scholars including Habib Alawi bin Abdullah bin Shihab, Habib Jafar bin Ahmad al-Aydarus and Shaykh Mahfuz bin Salim al-Zubaydi. In 1362 AH, corresponding to 1942, he established a school in Azzah and combined formal teaching with visits to surrounding communities. He also became involved in resolving local disputes.
Habib Muhammad performed the Hajj on foot in 1365 AH, corresponding to 1945. In 1370 AH, or 1950, he travelled to Somalia and served as imam of Masjid Mirwas in Mogadishu. His later travels included Iraq and Syria with Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf.
He wrote works on character, the Hajj and hadith, and played a role in religious education in al-Bayda. He died in Makkah on 8 Rabi al-Thani 1418 AH, corresponding to 1997, and was buried in the historic al-Ma’la Cemetery.
Sources
Muwasala, source biography: https://muwasala.org/2016/01/14/habib-muhammad-al-haddar/