In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bāz
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Riyadh
Date: 25 / 11 / 1380 AH
Attachments enclosed
From ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bāz
To His Majesty, the Exalted King Saud ibn ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz—may God grant him success and guide him to all goodness, Amen.
Peace, God’s mercy, and His blessings be upon you.
After that—may God preserve Your Majesty—I inform you of the following:
A group of outstanding young graduates from the College of Sharia in Riyadh have resolved to establish a comprehensive cultural institution, operating as a joint‑stock commercial enterprise, under the name Dār al‑Thaqāfah al‑Islāmiyyah (The Islamic Culture House) for printing, translation, guidance, and publishing. This initiative responds to the wishes of many scholars and benefactors. Its purpose is to stand against the misguided cultural wave sweeping through many Islamic countries today, and to spread Islamic awareness among the youth by importing beneficial Islamic books, newspapers, and magazines, distributing them to the public and to libraries, and printing valuable manuscripts and useful works in order to revive our glorious Islamic heritage.
Enclosed is a memorandum dictated by the director of the library, Shaykh Muḥammad Rushdī al‑Muftī al‑Sūrī, one of the finest graduates of the College of Sharia in Riyadh. This beneficial institution is in urgent need of Your Majesty’s support and contribution. My esteemed colleagues have expressed their wish that the institution be placed under my supervision, and I accepted their sincere request, thanking them for their trust.
Accordingly, I submit this letter to Your Majesty, requesting that you kindly contribute to the institution—either in Your Majesty’s name or in the name of one of the royal princes—so that its standing may be elevated and its noble Islamic mission fulfilled in the best manner, by God’s grace and through Your Majesty’s generous support for every charitable endeavor. May God protect Your Majesty from all harm and make you ever among those who aid the causes of truth. He is Most Generous. May God watch over you. Peace be upon you.
Note:
The requested contribution is to be made as a commercial investment, not as a charitable donation.
Islamic Culture House – Riyadh
For Printing, Distribution, Translation, and Publishing
Prince Faisal Street – Books, Stationery, Binding
P.O. Box 304
Under the supervision of: Shaykh ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz ibn Bāz
Administration: Muḥammad Rushdī al‑Muftī
To His Majesty King Saud ibn ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz—may God preserve him
Peace, God’s mercy, and His blessings be upon you.
This document clarifies certain administrative and financial matters concerning the Islamic Culture House in Riyadh.
Administrative Structure
The institution has an advisory committee composed of:
- Yūsuf al‑Mallāḥī and ʿAlī al‑Dakhīl, both teachers at the Scientific Institute in Riyadh (under the General Administration of Scientific Institutes and Colleges).
- ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zāyid and Ṣāliḥ al‑Mazrūʿī, both students at the College of Sharia.
The committee is chaired by the general supervisor of the institution, Shaykh ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bāz.
The director is Muḥammad Rushdī al‑Muftī, a graduate of the College of Sharia in Riyadh.
Financial Structure
Capital: 200,000 riyals, subject to increase, allocated as follows:
- 40,000 – Equipment for the binding department, including modern automatic binding machines.
- 40,000 – Stationery and school/government supplies.
- 70,000 – Modern books of various types, in addition to the collection formerly belonging to Maktabat al‑Taysīr.
- 30,000 – Initial printing and publishing of books.
- 20,000 – Establishment expenses.
Additional notes:
- The Islamic Culture House is a joint‑stock Islamic commercial company.
- The value of each share is 50 Saudi riyals.
- Minimum subscription: two shares.
- No maximum limit.
23 / 11 / 1380 AH
Director
Islamic Culture House
Founding Statement of the Islamic Culture House (1380 AH)
The Islamic Culture House was established in Riyadh in 1380 AH, supported by a group of young graduates from the College of Sharia. It is supervised by Shaykh ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz ibn Bāz, Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence at the College of Sharia and one of the eminent scholars of Najd. It is directed by Muḥammad Rushdī ibn Muṣṭafā al‑Muftī, also a graduate of the College of Sharia. Many individuals concerned with spreading Islamic awareness among the youth of this country contributed to its founding, both materially and morally.
This cultural institution arose from a deep awareness of the dangers surrounding our intellectual heritage and the stagnation that has afflicted it across the Islamic world, due to the overwhelming flood of foreign culture that has captivated many of our young men and women. This culture has begun to infiltrate our beloved country after wreaking havoc elsewhere, misleading the youth into believing that Islam’s intellectual legacy in politics, society, culture, and economics has become obsolete and incapable of addressing the challenges of the modern age.
They claim that progress requires turning wholly toward the West, immersing ourselves in its culture, and drinking from it without restraint. Some of our youth—due to their limited knowledge of their religion—have been deceived by this glittering but poisonous culture, becoming easy prey for the colonialist enemy who has conquered their minds without battle. Such imitators become alien to their own nation, mere distorted copies of their colonial masters, lacking creativity and innovation.
We do not address these misguided individuals, for they are as the dead who do not perceive. Rather, we expose their condition so that the living among our noble nation may take heed—especially in this blessed Islamic land, where we do not believe this grave illness has taken deep root.
To you, leaders of the nation, thinkers, reformers, and the enlightened youth everywhere, we direct this call:
Stand with us as one united front—undivided by opinion or desire—against this deviant cultural wave. Let us mobilize our efforts and talents to show the world that the materialist philosophy of the colonialist enemy is false and destructive, eroding our creed, distorting our concepts, and dissolving our identity.
“You are the best nation brought forth for mankind: you enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in God.”
Cooperate, dear brothers, with your cultural institution, the Islamic Culture House, which has taken upon itself—relying solely on God—to lift the veil from the eyes of heedless Muslims and expose the great conspiracy woven by colonialism to sever them from their glorious past and living heritage.
The Islamic Culture House seeks to collaborate with scholars, writers, and Islamic workers, encouraging them to research deeply within the vast Islamic library to uncover its treasures. When the truth spreads and falsehood is exposed, the radiant image of Islam will shine forth once again, bringing goodness and happiness to humanity. Then the believers will rejoice in God’s victory.
Note:
Those wishing to contribute financially to this project may do so through the al‑Rāshid stores in:
Riyadh – Jeddah – Dammam – Khobar – Buraydah
Administration
Islamic Culture House