The Exchanged Letters Between His Majesty King ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd and Amīn al‑Rayḥānī
Letter from King ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz to Amīn al‑Rayḥānī
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
No. 1 / 6 / 4
From ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd al‑Raḥmān al‑Fayṣal
To our esteemed friend, Professor Amīn al‑Rayḥānī—may God preserve him.
After greetings:
We have received your letter dated 14 Rabīʿ al‑Awwal 1352, and we thank you for your noble Arab sentiment, which appeared in its finest form in your message on the occasion of the pledge of allegiance to our son Saud as Crown Prince. We undertook this step only out of our belief that it serves the interests of the Arabs and Muslims, not merely our own. We pray that God grants us success in all that brings honor to the Arabs and preserves their unity and essential foundations. He is capable of all things.
We hope you will continue to keep us informed of your good news.
Please accept our highest regards.
10 Jumādā al‑Ākhirah 1352
(1933)
[Seal]
Letter from Crown Prince Saud to Amīn al‑Rayḥānī
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
To our esteemed friend, Professor Amīn al‑Rayḥānī—may God protect him.
After greetings:
I have received your gracious and eloquent letter expressing your joy at the proclamation of the Crown Prince and our receiving the pledge of allegiance. Indeed, I remember well the moment you reminded me of, and I hope we shall meet again in a similar hour.
If we rejoice at this announcement, it is because we believe it serves the interests of the Arabs and preserves their strength and unity. We ask God to guide us in fulfilling the duties of service that bring good to the Arabs and Muslims. We also ask God Almighty to prolong the life of our father, His Majesty, and keep him a treasure for us and for all Arabs. He is capable of all things.
Please accept our highest regards.
1352 AH
(1933)
Letter from Amīn al‑Rayḥānī to Crown Prince Saud
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
To His Royal Highness Crown Prince Saud ibn ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd al‑Raḥmān al‑Fayṣal Āl Saʿūd—may God preserve him.
I do not believe that in all the Arab lands—outside the illustrious Saudi family—there is anyone whose joy surpasses mine at the honor and elevation you have attained through the grace of His Majesty your father.
I wished to be among the first to offer congratulations, but the joyful news reached me through newspapers that arrive late to my retreat in Mount Lebanon. Whether early or late, I remain among your most sincere well‑wishers, praying for your continued success, honor, and divine support.
How swiftly the blessed days pass, and how beautifully they fulfill their promises. Eleven years have now passed since that day when I saw you as a valiant horseman at the forefront of the unification cavalry outside Riyadh—on the day of the ʿarḍah—welcoming Prince Fayṣal upon his return from Abhā. You surely remember. I said then: Would that this noble Saudi Arab kingdom, so dear to us and so great in our eyes, shining like the sun in our hopes—would that it be secured by rightful succession so that its foundations may be strengthened and its era prolonged. And now God has fulfilled the hopes, making you the link between past and future in a noble house and a blessed kingdom.
I have never read in the counsels of fathers to sons, nor in the admonitions of kings to their heirs, anything more profound, farsighted, wise, sincere, and devout than the advice His Majesty—may God strengthen him and his reign—has given you. It is worthy of being preserved and followed in all your affairs.
May God make you the best successor to the best predecessor when the matter passes to you—after the long life of His Majesty—so that the Arabs may gain further honor through you and through the expansion of Arab unity in your future reign.
Peace be upon you from your loyal friend and the faithful friend of the House of Saud.
Amīn al‑Rayḥānī
Publication Information
The Exchanged Letters Between His Majesty King ʿAbd al‑ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd and Amīn al‑Rayḥānī
Arab Institute for Research and Publishing
Beirut
First Edition, 1981