(Delivered on His Majesty’s behalf by Sheikh Yusuf Yassin)
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to God; we praise Him and thank Him. We seek refuge in God from the evils within ourselves and from the consequences of our deeds. Whomever God guides, none can mislead; and whomever He allows to stray, none can guide. Peace and blessings be upon the best of His Prophets. We begin with what is best.
Welcome, our brothers and fellow believers. Welcome to the bond that unites us all: the pure word of monotheism — the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Welcome to the honor and blessing of this Ancient House, toward which we journey from every land and every direction.
Here we seek refuge, asking our Lord to lift our burdens. From this blessed place, Islam spread across the earth; from here the call to God began when our Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, raised the foundations of this Sacred House. Toward this House we turn in prayer; around it we circumambulate; between Safa and Marwah we walk, proclaiming God’s greatness, renewing repentance, seeking forgiveness, and pledging obedience to our Lord and steadfastness upon our faith.
All worldly possessions are fleeting. We have no refuge except in God’s mercy, through sincere worship, adherence to His Book, and following the Sunnah of His Prophet and the guidance of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
Islam came as a religion of pure monotheism — without excess or neglect. It came completing the messages before it:
“He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah, and what We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: that you uphold the religion and do not be divided therein.”
Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, left no path of goodness without guiding us to it, and no path of evil without warning us against it:
“This is My straight path, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, lest they separate you from His way.”
A Call to Unity and Steadfastness
“My Muslim brothers: in these times — surrounded by dangers and trials affecting both our faith and our worldly affairs — we have no refuge after God except holding fast to His Book and the guidance of His Messenger.”
This requires:
- Sincere worship of God alone
- Avoiding supplication to any being besides Him
- Repentance, humility, and returning to God
- Purifying hearts and uniting ranks
His Majesty warned that division has weakened the Muslims and emboldened their enemies, who exploit discord among them. He reminded them of God’s words:
“God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
And of the verse revealed to strengthen the believers:
“Those to whom the people said, ‘Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them,’ but it increased them in faith, and they said, ‘God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.’”
The Zionist Aggression
His Majesty described the Zionist project as a “cancer” planted in the body of the Arab and Islamic world — a manifestation of injustice and aggression that compounded the hardships faced by Muslims globally. He emphasized that Muslims must not allow themselves to be divided or manipulated by fleeting worldly temptations.
A Vision for Arab and Islamic Solidarity
“What I call Muslims and Arabs to — and what I call myself to — is cooperation in every field to unify our aims. We seek no aggression against anyone; we seek only our safety, the friendship of those who befriend us, and protection from those who wish us harm.”
He reaffirmed:
- Commitment to the Arab League
- Adherence to the Collective Security Pact
- Efforts to unify Arab and Islamic nations
- Dedication to peace, security, and mutual defense
A Personal Pledge
His Majesty declared:
“I am your brother, honored to serve the Two Holy Mosques. It is my pride to open my heart to you and to work with you for the victory of our religion and the elevation of God’s word. I fear no blame in the cause of God.”
He prayed for unity, strength, and divine guidance, and asked God to accept the pilgrims’ rites and return them safely to their homelands.
Dhu al‑Hijjah 1373 AH