His paternal grandfather, Muhammad Amrullah, was a member of the Naqshbandiyah. His mother, Sitti Shafiyah, came from a lineage of Minangkabau artists. Raised in a family of devout Muslims, his father was Abdul Karim Amrullah, a clerical reformer of Islam in Minangkabau, also known as Haji Rasul. Hamka was born on 17 February 1908 in Agam, West Sumatra, the eldest child of seven. The museum now holds most of his books, publications, and related goods.
The house, which was occupied by Hamka and his grandmother during his childhood in Maninjau, was renovated in 2001 and named Buya Hamka Birthplace Museum.
