In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
From Saud Ibn Abdel Aziz Ibn Abdel Rahman Al Faisal:
"God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you, As you are well aware, God
has assigned to us the guidance of Muslims. In one of his Hadith, the Prophet,
prayers and peace be upon him, said: 'You are all shepherds and every shepherd is
responsible for his flock' The Imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for his flock,
so is man the shepherd of his family. Justice is the mainstay of heavens and earth,
and 'justice is sister to piety,'* so sayeth Almighty God.
"In more than one Hadith, it is stated that justice is the basis of governance.
Religion is strengthened by governance, and governance is maintained by religion." I
urge you, as I do myself, to be pious in private and in public. You must always be
truthful, whether in anger or when cool-headed. God, to Whom be ascribed all
perfection and Majesty, "knows of (the tricks) that deceive with the eyes and all that
the hearts (of men) conceal." It is stated in a Hadith of the Prophet, prayers and
peace be upon him, "God does not look to your images or your sayings, but into
your hearts and deeds." You have subjects and you will be responsible before God
for the way you treat them. If you do goodness to them you will be rewarded by God
but if you treat them unjustly you will be punished for it. I therefore urge you to
observe the Shari'a of the Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, in dealing with
your brothers. God tasketh not a soul beyond its scope.
"God enjoins Muslims to follow His Book and the Tradition of His Prophet,
prayers and peace be upon him, because no justice can be achieved without
observing the true religion that saves you from God's punishment and protects you
from partiality towards the mighty to the detriment of the weak or towards the rich to the detriment of the poor. The weak and the under-privileged are entitled to your
protection for their only recourse is God and the Imam of the Muslims. Put your
faith only in God, look after the affairs of Muslims whose well-being has been
entrusted to you, be equitable towards the ruled and mete justice to them. Be ethical
in all circumstances and modest in your relations with Muslims. Look at the old as a
father, the middle-aged as a brother and the youngster as a son. You have to protect
their religious and worldly interests. You have to take care of their affairs and
alleviate their suffering. If unable to solve a problem, refer it to us, as you will find
our doors open to welcome my subjects and ward off any harm that may befall them.
"You have to be adamant in the face of any transgression of your religion or of
the interests of Muslims. Before taking any decision in this respect, you should
consult Muslim 'ulamas' as well as pious and devout people, then refer the matter to
us. You will have accomplished your duty and brought to my attention the
conditions of my people to which I attach great importance, and whose burden I
wish to alleviate to the best of my ability. The injunctions of the Almighty should be
heeded, urging what is licit and forbidding anything illicit. It is stated in the Holy
Quran, 'Invite (all) to the way of Thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue
with them ill ways that are best and most gracious."? You have to seek the support and
company of men of good faith because man is judged by the company he keeps.
"I have cleared my conscience and provided you with the necessary directives.
I have full confidence in you, or else I would not have entrusted you with the affairs
of Muslims. However, it is my duty to advise and guide you in the interest of my
subjects and country and honour my responsibility before God. May God, to Whom
be ascribed all perfection and majesty, vindicate His religion, guide us to
righteousness and help us refrain from misdeeds. God's prayers and peace be upon
His Prophet."
"You have to be adamant in the face of any transgression of your religion or of
the interests of Muslims. Before taking any decision in this respect, you should
consult Muslim 'ulamas' as well as pious and devout people, then refer the matter to
us. You will have accomplished your duty and brought to my attention the
conditions of my people to which I attach great importance, and whose burden I
wish to alleviate to the best of my ability. The injunctions of the Almighty should be
heeded, urging what is licit and forbidding anything illicit. It is stated in the Holy
Quran, 'Invite (all) to the way of Thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching and argue
with them ill ways that are best and most gracious."? You have to seek the support and
company of men of good faith because man is judged by the company he keeps.
"I have cleared my conscience and provided you with the necessary directives.
I have full confidence in you, or else I would not have entrusted you with the affairs
of Muslims. However, it is my duty to advise and guide you in the interest of my
subjects and country and honour my responsibility before God. May God, to Whom
be ascribed all perfection and majesty, vindicate His religion, guide us to
righteousness and help us refrain from misdeeds. God's prayers and peace be upon
His Prophet."
HIS MAJESTY KING SAUD BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD MONARCH OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA 1953-1964 BY DR. SALEH AOUN-HASHEM AL-GHAMDI