Dr Nezar Mahmoud Kasem Alsheikh 1
Dr Nezar Mahmoud Kasem Alsheikh 3
Dr Nezar Mahmoud Kasem Alsheikh 4
Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (BKISHHB) recently received a visit from Dr. Nizar Mahmoud Qasim Al-sheikh, Acting Director of Dar Al-Siddiq for Sciences, Jeddah.
Dr Nizar is a researcher specialising in the study of the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, encompassing the history of the life of the Prophet ﷺ and historical sites associated with the Prophet’s ﷺ life.
Dr Nizar first learned about BKISHHB following the reopening of its exhibition galleries to the public on 12 December 2022. He was particularly interested in visiting BKISHHB to view first-hand the collections on display. BKISHHB also houses two galleries dedicated to collections related to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and His ﷺ Companions, namely Gallery 3: Noble Hair of Prophet ﷺ and Gallery 4: Vestiges of The Companions.
The visit also provided an opportunity for Dr Nizar to explore potential areas of cooperation and collaboration between Dar Al-Siddiq for Sciences, Jeddah and BKISHHB, particularly in the areas of exhibitions, the preservation and conservation of collections, as well as research.
Dr Nizar was welcomed by the Director of BKISHHB, Dr. Haji Mohammed Hussain bin Pehin Penyurat Haji Ahmad, and the Deputy Director of BKISHHB, Haji Muhammad Ibrahim bin Haji Juma’at.
With expertise in the fields of the Qur’an, Hadith and Fiqh, Dr Nizar’s recent research includes a study on the Minbar of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, based on Hadith literature, the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ and historical references. The research was published in a book entitled al-Durr al-Thamin fi Fada’il Mimbar al-Nabi al-Amin ﷺ (The Precious Pearl regarding the Virtues of the Pulpit of the Trustworthy Prophet)
As part of the research, Dr Nizar also produced a full-scale model of the Minbar of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ based on its original specifications and measurements, using wood from the Athal tree, also known as the Tarfa’ tree, sourced from the vicinity of Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The wood is of the same type that was historically used in the construction of the original Minbar. He also produced a smaller-scale replica of the Minbar.