حضرة ابو بكر سلطنتیں

Abdulaziz Bin Muhammad Al-Ateeqi (1): Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Bin Muhammad Al-Ateeqi was a descendant of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. He was an educator, Islamic scholar, and historian as well as a skilled politician. He was also one of the Arabian Peninsula’s leading media pioneers. A world-traveler with origins in both Najd and Kuwait, he was from a noble family that valued education.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi held several political positions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and also ran many national schools in accordance with the modern educational system, which he introduced to Bahrain in 1916 (1334 AH), the town of Al-Majma’ah, Najd in 1931 (1350 AH), and the village of Fahaheel, Kuwait in 1949 (1368 AH). He lived during critical periods of history, witnessing the fall of the Ottoman Empire along with the emergence of both monarchies and republics. These events shaped his personality as well as his intellectual and academic interests.

He dreamed of restoring the glory of the Islamic Caliphate, which inspired him to take a path that included preaching, political activity, and work in education and media whenever the opportunity presented itself. He was a brilliant educator who taught in eight schools spread out over six cities and villages in four countries.

When his studies at Dar al-Da’wa Wa al-Irshad came to a halt due to the outbreak of World War I, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi was commissioned by Rashid Rida to deliver a political letter to King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. This led to the arrest and imprisonment of both Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi and his friend, Muhib El-Din Al-Khatib, who were imprisoned for nearly a year under orders from the British High Commissioner in Basra, Percy Cox.

After he was released, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi performed some accounting work in Qatif for King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud in early 1916, after which he began engaging in educational and political activities, including the establishment of the first local school in the Gulf to operate in accordance with the modern educational system in Muharraq, Bahrain.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi held a number of positions during his lifetime, including the following:

·         Member of the committee responsible for handing the city of Jeddah from Sharif Ali Bin Hussein over to Sultan Abdulaziz Ibn Saud;

·         Member of the First Advisory Council to govern the Hejaz;

·         Member of the first Shura Council to govern the Hejaz;

·         Advisor to Prince Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Deputy for the King in Makkah Al-Mukarramah;

·         Member of the first Islamic Conference in Makkah Al-Mukarramah (June-July 1926);

·         Acting Head of the Directorate of Foreign Affairs;

·         Assistant to the Head of the Media Directorate (Publications Department), with several of his articles published in Umm Al-Qura Newspaper;

·         Other political, educational, and academic positions.

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi was a brilliant writer and author as well as a distinguished media figure, with articles published in Al-Dustur Magazine in Basra (1331 AH), Al-Manar Magazine in Egypt (1332 AH), several magazines in Indonesia and Malaysia, Umm Al-Qura Magazine in Makkah Al-Mukarramah (1345 AH / 1925 AD), Al-Bi’tha Magazine in Kuwait (1368 AH / 1949 AD), and others that are unknown to us. Perhaps his most important accomplishment, however, was introducing contemporary modern education to the Gulf region, which explains why he has been described as “the pioneer of modern education in the Gulf region.”

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi (may Allah have mercy on him) died in Kuwait on the day of Ashura’, on the tenth of Muharram in 1389 AH (March 28, 1969 AD) at the age of 88. He had a son, Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him), who died in 2007, and two daughters, Moudhi and Noura, with his wife, Ifakat Nouri Bey Bin Hasan Pasha. He also had a daughter named Omayah with his second wife, Su’ad Abdel-Rahman Ramadan.

The Kuwaiti government honored Abdulaziz Al-Ateeqi by naming a school after him in the area of Sulaibikhat.

Source: Kitab Al-Sulala Al-Bakria As-Siddiqia – Part II, by Ahmed Farghal Al-De’abassi Al-Bakri

Date of Publication

1 Ramadan 1438 AH / May 26, 2017 AD

(1) Cited from the Al-Ateeqi family website; Biography prepared by: Dr. Imad Bin Muhammad Al-Ateeqi; biography also appears in: Rijal fi Al-Thakira 5/ 170