“To my Muslim brothers in the East and the West: peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.
On the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan, I supplicate to Almighty God to guide us to righteous deeds, to pardon our sins and the sins of all Muslims, and to make us among those who fast the month, complete its reward, and attain the prize of the Lord.”
Adherence to Islam and Its Teachings
His Majesty continued:
“I urge you—and myself—to fear God, in private and in public; to deem lawful what God has permitted and what His Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), has prescribed; and to deem unlawful what He has forbidden. It is no secret to any of you what has befallen the Muslims, and I have no doubt that this is due to their abandonment of their religious principles. The greatest of these principles is adherence to the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet, and holding to the creed of the righteous forefathers whose history you know well. They attained honor and dignity only through the strength of their faith and their steadfastness in upholding the laws and rites of Islam.”
The Need for Unity
“Therefore, Muslims must return to God in private and in public, uphold what He has permitted, avoid what He has forbidden, be truthful with one another, purify their hearts, unite their word, and gather their ranks in this troubled and complex age. The discord among Muslims is a blow to Islam and its people. Rise, O Muslims, to correct your principles, restore your glory, and unite your word, as God Almighty said: ‘And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of God, and do not be divided.’”
The King added the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“The believer to the believer is like a solid structure, each part supporting the other.”
Sacrifice for the Sake of Unity
“How long, O Muslims, will this division and fragmentation continue—creating gaps in your ranks that others exploit? As one of the enemies of the Arabs and Muslims once said when asked how they prevail over the Arabs despite their greater numbers: ‘We prevail by sowing division among them.’”
His Majesty continued:
“I say to you frankly: this is the reality. On this occasion, I call upon you to awaken your resolve and remember your glorious past, written in history with letters of light. God Almighty said: ‘Do not weaken and do not grieve; you shall be superior if you are believers.’ We are fully prepared to pursue whatever brings honor to the Arabs and Muslims. Let us sacrifice the precious and the dear for this cause, with faith and conviction, praying in this blessed month that God grant victory to His religion, exalt His word, humble the enemies of faith, unite the Muslims, and preserve the entity of this noble nation—standing together, united.”
Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”
Source: Al‑Ahram
Date: 9 May 1954