When King Saud—May God Have Mercy on Him—Ordered His People to Perform Hajj at His Own Expense (1373 AH)
Among the ways by which ordinary people in Najd and other regions marked time was by naming each year after a major event that occurred within it—whether an illness, famine, or other notable incident. Sometimes a year was named after the place where an event occurred, such as a battle or a fire, making the name a distinctive marker for that year. Thus, people dated their memories and life events accordingly.
Among the well‑known years remembered by the elderly are, for example:
- The Battle of Al‑Mulayda (1308 AH)
- The Opening of Riyadh (1319 AH)
- The Battle of Al‑Shanana (1322 AH)
- Rawdat Muhanna (1324 AH)
- The Year of Hunger (1328 AH)
- The Year of Jarab (1333 AH)
- The Year of Mercy / Heat / Illness (1337 AH)
- The Year of Al‑Sabla (1347 AH)
and many others that became part of popular memory.
In this article, we address one such year known as “Sannat ‘Ajzah” (The Year of Inability).
What is “Sannat ‘Ajzah”?
It is a year remembered by the people of some towns in Najd. One might hear:
“He was born in the Year of ‘Ajzah,” or “before it by a few years,” or “after it by such‑and‑such.”
Why was it called ‘Ajzah?
The word ‘ajz means inability or incapacity—specifically, the inability to perform the Hajj.
When King Saud—may God have mercy on him—assumed the throne after the death of his father King Abdulaziz in 1373 AH, many people in Najd were unable to perform Hajj due to lack of money or transportation. Reaching Mecca at that time was difficult; most people traveled on camels, and only a few used cars, which were still scarce. Thus, performing Hajj was beyond the means of many.
King Saud, eager to ensure that his people could fulfill this religious obligation—and as an act of filial devotion to his late father—donated from his personal wealth to assist those unable to perform Hajj. He sent representatives to towns and villages announcing that anyone unable to perform Hajj due to lack of money or transportation would be provided with vehicles that would take them to Mecca, fully supported and cared for.
Cars were dispatched to the towns after compiling lists of those wishing to perform Hajj. When the vehicles arrived, the pilgrims boarded them—many riding in a car for the first time in their lives. They traveled on prepared roads to Mecca, performed the pilgrimage, and returned home after God had made the obligation easy for them—at the expense of King Saud, may God have mercy on him.
When did this year occur?
Some elders say it corresponds to 1374 AH, one year after the death of King Abdulaziz. However, evidence suggests it occurred in 1373 AH, the very year King Abdulaziz passed away (Monday, 2/3/1373 AH). Since Hajj occurs at the end of the year and many pilgrims returned home at the beginning of the following year, the dating became confused.
Sheikh Ibrahim bin Ubayd Al‑Abdulmuhsin recorded in his history that King Saud assisted the poor in performing Hajj in 1373 AH, though he did not refer to that year as “Sannat ‘Ajzah.” The confusion likely arose because the King’s death occurred early in 1373 AH, while pilgrims returned home early in 1374 AH, creating a temporal gap in memory.
It is also possible that the assistance continued into 1374 AH for other regions.
Number of Vehicles Sent to the Towns
Sheikh Ibrahim bin Ubayd Al‑Abdulmuhsin wrote about the events of 1373 AH:
“King Saud sent vehicles to all regions of the Kingdom for those unable to perform Hajj. The number of pilgrims who performed Hajj in these donated vehicles exceeded four thousand, with all their provisions—food, drink, and expenses—covered. Each group of vehicles had supervisors responsible for the pilgrims. This was the first time the government prepared pilgrims to perform Hajj at its own expense.”
For example:
- Five vehicles arrived in the town of Tumair
- Two vehicles arrived in Al‑Safra
Other towns also received vehicles, though the exact numbers are unknown.
This is what I wished to clarify regarding Sannat ‘Ajzah.
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al‑Faisal – Riyadh
Al‑Jazirah Newspaper