Sheikh Saif Bin Hamad Al-Atiqi (Al-Ateeqi)

He is Muhammad ibn Saif ibn Hamad ibn Muhammad al-Atiqi. His lineage was recorded in his own handwriting on the 20th of Dhu al-Qi'dah 1212 AH in a purchase ownership record of the manuscript "Siraj al-Qari al-Mubtadi wa-Tidhkar al-Muqri' al-Muntahi" by Ala' al-Din Ali ibn Uthman al-Qasah al-'Udhri al-Baghdadi [1] (Document No. 4). Al-'Atiqi is a reference to the late Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him [2][3]. Muhammad, the subject of this biography, has several previous biographies, the most important of which is by his Googlecontemporary Uthman ibn Sand in "Saba'ik al-'Asjad" [4], then by Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hamid in "Al-Sahb al-Wabila" [5], then by Abdullah al-Bassam in "Ulama' Najd fi Thaman Qarun" [6], and then we wrote a biography of him in our research "Ulama' al-'Atiqi fi Thalatha Qarun" in the magazine "Al-Dara" [7]. Here, we combine the above biographies with other useful sources available to us.

Muhammad bin Saif was born in 1175 AH [8] in his family's hometown of Harmah, a village in Najd in the Sudair region, where his family lived. He was raised in a scholarly environment, as his father was the imam of the Ibn Salim Mosque in his hometown of Harmah and owned a school and library, one of the oldest scholarly libraries in Najd at the time. His family was well-off, as their father owned property and palm trees, some of which he endowed to the library and school [9]. Muhammad had several brothers, including Hamad, Sheikh Saleh, Abdullah, Ibrahim, and Abdulrahman [10]. Muhammad traveled with his father and his brother Saleh in pursuit of knowledge to Al-Ahsa, where he studied with scholars of the school. One of his peers, Uthman ibn Sand, said of him: "He was born in Najd, but he was clothed in the cloak of glory. He traveled with his father to Hajar. He read the Qur'an during his youth, and occupied himself with it day and night, working on it in the hope of success in the eternal abode. His blessings returned to him, and his goodness and bounties were completed through him. Through his blessings, he earned the company of the righteous, his prominence in matters of knowledge and of publication, his attention with the fingers of honor, his seating on the thrones of reverence and esteem, and his inclusion among the ranks of distinguished scholars." These statements indicate the translator's attachment to the Quran and its sciences, and his attainment of the highest scholarly ranks of his time.

It is clear from his biography that he initially studied under his father, Saif, in his harem. Al-Bassam mentions that he studied with scholars from Sudair, but did not name them. The most famous of them at that time were Ahmad al-Tuwaijri, Abdullah al-Muwais, and Abdullah ibn Suhaim. His travel to al-Ahsa suggests that he studied with scholars from the same harem, under whom his brother Salih had studied before him, such as Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Fayruz, Isa ibn Mutlaq, and Abd al-Wahhab al-Zawawi. It is also evident from his biography and the books his father gifted him that he benefited from the students of Ibn Fayruz, such as Abd al-Muhsin ibn Ali al-Sharkhi, Abd al-Aziz ibn Adwan, and his brother Salih ibn Saif [11]. He may also have studied with scholars from the Two Holy Mosques, as his residence in both of them is recorded.

The translator was a companion of the famous merchant Ahmad ibn Rizq and one of his companions in his council in Basra. Ibn Sand mentioned some of his characteristics, saying: [12]
"Perhaps the reason for Ahmad's love for him was his repentance, piety, sincerity, and loyalty, his good nature, purity, and soundness of his friendships, as well as the purity of his inner self and heart. He always maintained the most upright conduct and the purest intentions and character, maintaining family ties, knowing what was lawful and what was unlawful, avoiding corrupt relationships, being close to every noble trait, generous in nature, and hospitable, not deterring those who strive for it, even if they were his enemies."