(Umm al‑Qura, Issue 1469, 14 Shawwal 1372 AH / 25 June 1953)
Praise be to God, who has bestowed upon us His abundant blessings, guided us to the straight path, opened our hearts to follow His commands, and made easy for us the fasting of His month. We ask Him for great reward and hope for a blessed return to Him. We send prayers upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.
On this blessed and precious occasion, I take the opportunity to convey—on behalf of His Majesty our revered King, and on my own behalf—to all Arabs and Muslims in the East and the West, congratulations on completing the obligation of fasting and sincere greetings on the advent of Eid al‑Fitr. May God return it to them all with prosperity and blessing.
The blessed month has passed while the Islamic world in general, and the Arab world in particular, is experiencing a difficult phase of struggle in defense of its rights, protection of its lands, and pursuit of its just aspirations. From the far Maghreb to Egypt, and from the shores of Palestine to the frontiers of China, Muslims endure various hardships and challenges, facing successive dangers from many directions. They call upon one another to repel harm and rise against aggression.
In addition to all this, the Islamic world has become a target for destructive ideologies incompatible with its faith and principles. Moreover, forms of corruption and moral decay—condemned by all religions and universally recognized by scholars of ethics—have begun to spread among its people. These are more harmful to their unity and dignity, and more capable of weakening and humiliating them, than the assaults of aggressors or the injustices of tyrants.
Muslims have no refuge or protection, no weapon in their struggle, and no means to achieve their aims except returning to the foundation upon which their eternal glory was built, their past honor established, their flourishing civilization raised, and their sweeping strength created: the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God; adherence to God’s commands; and striving in His cause. By this they ruled with justice, built with excellence, spread a powerful civilization in East and West, and inscribed enduring glory upon the pages of history.
In this word of Islam—and in the brotherhood, truth, solidarity, and unity of purpose it calls for—lies a weapon sharper than all weapons and a strength unmatched by any other. Through it they rose while being the weakest of nations; through it victory was written for them though they were few and powerless; through it they spread knowledge across the world though they had once been far from the means of learning and civilization.
As we celebrate today the blessed Eid al‑Fitr and the fasting of Ramadan—the month in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind—we recall what we once were and what we have become. We find no remedy for the hardship we face except the strength we once possessed through the word of monotheism, the Book of God, and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him. By them we rose and advanced, secured justice, and spread truth among people. Through neglect of these principles, and failure to uphold their requirements, we weakened, were humbled, and became prey to the teeth of oppression.
We ask God, the Almighty and Merciful, to inspire us to return to His word, to act according to His Book, and to follow the Sunnah of His Messenger; to guide us to the straight path; and to make from the blessings of our fasting, our prayers, and our recitation a light that illuminates our way, unites our ranks, strengthens our bonds of brotherhood, and clarifies for us the paths of truth and justice among people. He is All‑Hearing, All‑Responsive.