Address Delivered by His Majesty King Saud in Al‑Madinah al‑Munawwarah on the Occasion of the Completion of the Reconstruction and Expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque
Published in Umm al‑Qurā, Issue No. 1588, dated 11 Rabīʿ al‑Awwal 1375 AH (28 October 1955 CE)
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Praise be to God, by whose grace righteous deeds are accomplished. May blessings and peace be upon Muhammad, His servant and Messenger—the guiding light and the bearer of the banner of truth and justice—and upon his family, his Companions, and all who follow his path and adhere to his way.
My brothers, I greet you with the finest of greetings, and I thank God for granting this happy occasion that has brought us together in the best of places and the most virtuous of cities after the Sacred House of God.
My brothers, the City of the Messenger—peace be upon him—holds in our hearts a love and reverence that no passage of time can diminish. It is a love bound to faith and spirit, and faith is the dearest and strongest possession a person can hold. From this radiant city, Islam grew in strength and spread across all horizons.
God knows the alarm that struck us when my late father learned that some of the columns had weakened. He immediately summoned experts from among the Muslims to examine the matter and address it at its roots. I had the honor of laying the foundation stone, and once the situation became clear to me, I resolved that the mosque should be expanded to accommodate the greatest possible number of worshippers and visitors.
I praise God that all has been completed during my reign, and that I am granted the great honor of inaugurating it today in the presence of this gathering representing Muslims from various lands. My joy is further deepened by the attendance of religious scholars from all regions. It is a fortunate sign that the completion of this construction and the celebration of it coincide with the anniversary of his—peace be upon him—migration to this blessed city in the month of Rabi‘ al‑Awwal.
On this happy occasion, I take the opportunity to convey to the Islamic world the news of our project to expand the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, following this same beautiful design. A committee has been formed to oversee the continuous implementation of this project, which concerns us and the entire Islamic world.
I ask God to guide our steps in serving our religion and elevating our nation to the level befitting its position in this world. He is All‑Hearing, Responsive