In one of the battles against Ibn Rashid near Hail, King Saud—who was then serving as commander—displayed remarkable courage. When the forces of Ibn Rashid launched a sudden attack, all the men threw themselves to the ground to avoid the unexpected gunfire, except Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz, who remained standing like a mountain, unmoved and unshaken, as though he possessed a heart that knew no fear of death, until victory was secured.
This account was related to me by Turki bin Omar bin Rubaian, one of the most prominent sheikhs of the ʿUtaybah tribe and currently a commander of one of its regiments. He narrated it to me nine months ago at his home in the Al‑Mursalat district, quoting his father—the renowned Sheikh Ibn Rubaian—who stated that he himself, along with the chief of the Mutayr tribe and other tribal leaders, had all lain flat on the ground to avoid the sudden hail of bullets.
May God bestow His vast mercy upon King Saud. It is no surprise that he was among the greatest military leaders who contributed to the unification of this noble nation.
“Say: He is Allah, the One;
Allah, the Eternal Refuge;
He neither begets nor is born;
And there is none comparable to Him.”
To the mercy of God we commend Badr Hamoud Al‑Otaibi.
O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, and honor his resting place.