Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Qafae Al-Ghamdi, a famous honey merchant and expert on bees from Al-Baha region, passed away last week. He was not only my father-in-law and the grandfather of my children but also a friend of mine. Sheikh Ibrahim was one of the prominent figures of Hazna village in Al-Baha. I had been acquainted with him since childhood by virtue of belonging to the same tribe. Our friendship grew stronger over a period of 50 years, and I value it with due respect and appreciation. I considered him an extraordinary person in many respects. He had received no formal education; his learning was mainly from the school of day-to-day life, but I learned many things from him. He pinned great hopes on me and expected a bright future for me. He always encouraged me to continue my studies and exerted the utmost efforts to help me scale the heights of professional excellence in life. Sheikh Ibrahim's father died while he was a small child. Therefore, he had to shoulder the responsibility of looking after his sisters. The financial condition of the family was tough as the sources of income were very limited. This forced him to leave his native village for Jeddah where he joined with some Westerners who were working in foreign companies. He served them as a cook and soon he became an expert in that field. He managed to earn a good salary that helped him to support his family although it also resulted in the envy of his peers. However, he could not continue in this job for long because of the completion of the work contract of the company. He then worked at Silah Al-Tayran School. At that time, I was working at a government office near the school and this was instrumental in further strengthening the bonds of our friendship. He asked me to visit him at his workplace after finishing my duty. He used to ask me to help him prepare letters for his family and relatives. During those days, letters were the only means of communication with families in villages and remote cities. I also helped him to learn to read and write, and memorize some chapters of the Holy Qur'an. But this also did not continue for long. The death of his cousin and brother-in-law forced him to abandon the job in Jeddah, as there was no one else to take care of the day-to-day affairs of the family. Subsequently, he settled down in Al-Baha and turned to the honey business. He soon became an expert in this field with a special focus on various types of honey and the kinds of trees that are frequented by bees. Sheikh Ibrahim became a prominent figure in the village thanks to his charismatic personality. He had acquired vast experience from his travels as well as from his dealings with different types of people. He was well known for his courage, candor, eloquence, generosity and skill in negotiations. People used to seek his advice and opinion on matters concerning them. It is also to be noted that the sheikh was very efficient in brokering reconciliation among people and settling disputes. He had the extraordinary ability to convince people with his power of argument characterized by logic and a smooth style, and he spoke in a refined language as if he were reading from a printed text. By virtue of the friendship that bound us, I used to meet him whenever I visited the Al-Baha region. On every such occasion, he hosted a feast in my honor, and that was even before he became my father-in-law. On one occasion, I arrived there, accompanied by an American friend and his wife. What united us was our interest in mountaineering. We went together to climb Hazna Mountain, which was one of the tallest mountains in the region. There was a route to reach the top of the mountain, but we failed to locate it. Before starting our ascent, we met Sheikh Ibrahim by chance and asked him about the easiest way to reach the peak of the mountain. He told us that he would join us on the climb on the condition that afterwards we should accept his hospitality. We agreed and became his guests after a successful climb to the top of the mountain. The story of my marriage to his daughter was a coincidence and was not pre-planned. During one of our meetings, we were talking about the topic of marriage and the efforts he was exerting in getting people married. I told him jokingly: "You are helping people but not helping me despite the friendship that binds us." He told me: "Give me an indication about whom you want to marry and then I will serve you." I jokingly replied: "I propose anyone from your side and if there is no one, then from someone else." His reply was that he would have given his consent had the matter rested with him. He asked me for some more time to seek the consent of the concerned person. The next day, he invited me to have lunch with him. After the food, I met the girl and her mother in his presence and we discussed the matter and the proposal was accepted. The marriage ceremony was held within two weeks. We are blessed with three daughters and one son, praise be to Allah. Some of them are university graduates while others are now studying at university. May Allah shower mercy on Sheikh Ibrahim, their grandfather, and accommodate him in His Paradise. Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at [email protected]
