His Majesty the King Continues to Strengthen the Bonds of Arab and Islamic BrotherhoodAl‑Sareeh, the newspaper published in Jerusalem, printed the following article:
The Arabian Peninsula was the spring from which faith burst forth—faith through which the Arabs were able to open both hearts and frontiers. We often hear today that the age of faith has passed. Yet the truth is that faith remains where it has always been; what has changed is the spirit of the age. We now live in a world where distances have collapsed, and people have become connected through countless means of communication that have erased isolation between nations. Nothing strengthens faith more than interaction, and we all know that the power of faith in the hearts of the Arabs began to weaken when they left their isolation in the Peninsula.
The age we live in today is an age of power, and the foundation of this power is oil. In such an age, we do not alter or replace the messages of the spirit; rather, events are shaped by material strength. This does not diminish the value of the spirit or its messages, nor do we claim that our age is devoid of faith or believers. What we do claim is that the sign of this age is understanding—understanding the age itself, and understanding the nature of power. And in the Peninsula today there is a king who has adorned himself with the highest qualities of faith, and into whose hands God has placed the richest material resources that this age comprehends.
A king endowed with such abundant wealth—both spiritual and material—can accomplish in this era some of what the early believers accomplished in the age of pure faith.
His Majesty King Saud bin Abdulaziz has charted for himself, since ascending the throne of his father, a new policy in the history of the Peninsula. He works tirelessly to strengthen the bonds of Arab and Islamic brotherhood among Arabs and Muslims, traveling from one country to another to achieve this noble goal.
His Majesty surrounds the cause of Palestine with his compassion and care. He gives generously and without hesitation, bearing the burdens of travel throughout Arab and Muslim lands to unify their word and organize their joint efforts.
His Majesty—may God preserve him—has also given his noble attention to the National Guard, supporting it financially, and he will soon do even more, out of his confidence in its leadership and its bravery in defending the borders of this homeland.
As for Al‑Aqsa Mosque, His Majesty was prepared to restore it at his own expense, were it not for his desire to leave room for his fellow Arab kings and presidents to participate. His telegram on this matter expressed his sincere feelings toward the First Qibla and the Third of the Holy Sanctuaries.
We must also recall His Majesty’s generous donation to establish a charitable institution in Jerusalem bearing his noble name—just as he has done previously in Beirut, Damascus, and other cities. These noble deeds testify to the sincere desire of this gracious Arab monarch to serve the Arab and Islamic worlds, seeking only the pleasure of his Lord, the good of his nation, and the welfare of his country.
Al‑Sareeh sends its sincere greetings to the great Saudi monarch following his recent success in strengthening the bonds of cooperation and joint action with a dear Islamic nation—Pakistan—and in reinforcing Arab‑Islamic relations.
Source: Al‑Madinah Newspaper
Date: 12 Shawwal 1373 AH — 14 June 1954 CE