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Hamad al-Jasir

Died
1421 AH
Born in
-

Hamad al-Jasir (1328–1421 AH / 1910–2000 CE) was a Saudi historian, geographer, genealogist, and pioneering journalist known for his research on the history, geography, and heritage of the Arabian Peninsula.

Early life and education

Hamad ibn Muhammad al-Jasir belonged to the Al Jasir family of the Banu Ali branch of the Harb tribe. He was born in 1328 AH in the village of al-Burud in the al-Sirr region of Najd to an impoverished farmer. Due to his frail health, his father enrolled him in the village elementary school (kuttab), where he learned reading and writing and memorized parts of the Quran. In 1340 AH, his father brought him to Riyadh, placing him under the care of a relative and religious student named Abd al-Aziz ibn Fayiz, under whom he memorized the Quran completely and studied the fundamentals of Islamic theology and jurisprudence.

Following the death of his guardian in 1342 AH, al-Jasir returned to al-Burud, and his father died shortly thereafter. He was subsequently raised by his maternal grandfather, Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Salim, the imam of the village mosque; al-Jasir assisted his grandfather in leading prayers and taught local boys until 1346 AH. In 1358 AH, he enrolled in the Faculty of Arts at Cairo University, but his studies were cut short and he returned without a degree due to the outbreak of the Second World War and the recall of the Saudi student mission.

Career and scholarly activities

Al-Jasir held several educational and administrative positions across Saudi Arabia, serving as the head of educational supervision in Dhahran and later as the director of education in Najd in 1369 AH. During this period, he established Maktabat al-Arab, the first modern bookstore under his supervision in Riyadh. He also served as the first director of the Colleges of Sharia and Arabic Language in Riyadh, which later formed the foundation of Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and taught as a part-time professor at King Saud University for two years.

He played a formative role in Saudi journalism and printing. In 1372 AH, he launched al-Yamama, the first magazine published in Riyadh, and in 1374 AH founded the city's first printing establishment, the National Printing and Publishing Company. In 1381 AH, he transformed al-Yamama into a weekly newspaper, and in 1385 AH he became the inaugural editor-in-chief of al-Riyadh, the first daily newspaper published in the capital. In 1386 AH, he established the specialized scholarly journal al-Arab, dedicated to the history, geography, and literature of the Arabian Peninsula, editing it for 35 years.

Al-Jasir traveled extensively across Turkey, Europe, and several Arab countries in search of rare Arabic manuscripts. He initiated and co-authored the comprehensive 23-volume geographical survey al-Mu'jam al-Jughrafi li-al-Bilad al-Arabiyya al-Sa'udiyya (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), authoring its introductory volumes as well as the sections on the northern and eastern regions. He was a full member of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo and the Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research in Amman, and a corresponding member of the Arabic language academies in Damascus and Amman, the Iraqi Academy in Baghdad, and the Scientific Academy in India.

Honors and recognition

Al-Jasir received numerous state and international distinctions, including:

  • The Saudi State Merit Award in Literature (1404 AH).
  • The Gulf Cooperation Council Medal of Honor (1410 AH).
  • The King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Literature (1416 AH / 1996 CE).
  • The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences Award for his work Usul al-Khayl al-Arabiyya al-Haditha (Origins of Modern Arabian Horses; 1416 AH).
  • The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award in the United Arab Emirates (1416 AH).
  • Honorary doctorates from King Saud University (1416 AH) and Marmara University in Turkey (1996 CE), the latter delivered to him at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo because he had lost his eyesight and was unable to travel.
  • The King Abdulaziz Medal at the Janadriyah National Festival for Heritage and Culture (1417 AH).

Death

Al-Jasir died on Thursday, 16 Jumada al-Akhira 1421 AH (14 September 2000 CE).

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List of Works