King Saud visited the city of Asmara several times, staying there with his entourage for varying periods. During his second visit, the Grand Mufti was bedridden in the hospital and was therefore unable to receive His Majesty during his visit to the Asmara Grand Mosque. He thus wrote the following letter, expressing gratitude for the King’s visit and generous donations. The King later visited the city of Massawa and donated an additional ten thousand dollars to the Hanafi Mosque there.
Letter of the Mufti of Eritrea to King Saud
To His Majesty King Saud bin Abdulaziz,
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
I have been informed by the President of the Supreme Court of Shar‘i Appeals, the Judge of Asmara and Hamasien, and the Endowments Committee of your visit to the Islamic Center in Asmara on Friday, 4 Dhul‑Qa‘dah 1387 AH. You led the Muslims in the Friday prayer, honored the Center’s scientific library with your visit, inscribed your noble signature in its guestbook, and offered a heartfelt prayer for my recovery. You also bestowed generous donations of ten thousand dollars to the library and two thousand dollars to the poor of the mosque, in addition to watches bearing your esteemed name for the Mufti of Eritrea, the Judge of Asmara, and the muezzin of the Mosque of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
This noble act is not the first of its kind. It was preceded by a similar gesture in Dhul‑Qa‘dah 1376 AH, when Your Majesty honored this city and donated ten thousand Ethiopian dollars to its religious institute. All of this is preserved in the hearts of the Muslims, written in lines of pride and gratitude—now and in the future.
It therefore pleases me to extend, on my own behalf and on behalf of my Muslim brethren in this land, the highest expressions of thanks and appreciation. I pray that God grants Your Majesty full health, long life, and continued success, accompanied by happiness in both worlds.
Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.
Ibrahim al‑Mukhtar
Mufti of the Eritrean Territories
Written on Friday, 11 Dhul‑Qa‘dah 1387 AH
Corresponding to 9 February 1968 CE
King Saud’s Reply to the Mufti
To the esteemed Sheikh Ibrahim al‑Mukhtar Ahmad,
Mufti of the Eritrean Territories,
Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.
We received your letter dated 11 Dhul‑Qa‘dah 1387 AH (9 February 1968 CE), in which you mentioned our donation to the Islamic Center. We consider this to be merely part of our duty toward our Muslim brothers everywhere—especially in this country with which we share strong bonds of friendship and deep historical ties, renewed through the presence of our brother, Emperor Haile Selassie.
In conclusion, we pray that God grants us success in fulfilling our duty toward our noble religion. May God guide us and you to all that benefits Islam and the Muslims.
Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.