In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah alone, and may Allah’s peace, blessings, and salutations be upon the one after whom there is no prophet, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.
Amma Ba’ad (To proceed)- The period of King Abdullah bin Abdul Azeez’s reign, may Allah have mercy upon him, which lasted approximately ten years, was a turning point in the history of the Saudi state, during which there was leniency regarding women’s unveiling and their mixing with men in the Shura Council, various media outlets, and elsewhere. This was caused by the empowerment and dominance of the Westernizers during his era, which gave them authority and influence through which they strove diligently to spread corruption in the land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries after its reformation (when the third Saudi state was established in Hijaz and Najd).
Similarly, they pursued the deviation of (modern) education and the establishment of law colleges and other such things that were foreign to this country. The country had generally been safe from this type of dissolution before King Abdullah’s era, may Allah have mercy upon him, especially during the era of King Fahd, may Allah have mercy upon him, which lasted approximately a quarter of a century. I have mentioned in a previous statement that among the reasons for this safety was the presence of the Shaikh of Islam of his time, our Shaikh Abdul Azeez bin Abdullah bin Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, and I described his presence as being like the continuation of the barrier of Yajuj and Majuj.
Among what he (Shaikh Ibn Baaz) said, as stated in his Majmua Fatawa (5/224): “It is well known that calling for women to unveil their faces is a false call that is rejected by both Islamic law and reason, and is contrary and hostile to the Islamic religion,” until he said: “And those who call for and promote unveiling do so either out of ignorance, heedlessness, and lack of knowledge of its dire consequences, or out of malicious intent and ill will, showing no concern for virtuous morals nor giving them any weight.”
During King Abdullah’s reign, may Allah have mercy upon him, the Westernizers planned to introduce women into the Shura Council and municipal councils, both as candidates and voters. The implementation of their entry into the Shura Council was carried out during his reign with the selection of thirty women, who were endorsed by the British Ambassador to the Kingdom, who said: “They all have high international expertise in all fields,” as reported in Al-Riyadh newspaper on 5/3/1434 AH. As for their entry into municipal councils, the Westernizers worked to defer it to the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Azeez, may Allah preserve him and strengthen His religion through him, and it was implemented in the new cycle of municipal councils.
The cunning Westernizers wronged the Saudi nation, both government and people, by targeting the Salmani era with efforts to bring about three things: issuing regulations for the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice that resulted in weakening it and diminishing its authority, about which I wrote a statement titled: “The Westernizers Who Follow Their Desires Want the Land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries to Deviate Greatly,” published on 14/7/1437 AH, and their endeavor to establish a General Entertainment Authority, which raises concerns about exceeding what is permissible to what is religiously forbidden, from which this country had previously been safe, such as opening movie theaters that anger Allah and destroy morals, about which I previously wrote a statement titled: “Statement on the Danger of Opening Movie Theatres in the Land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries,” published on 1/1/1430 AH.
And their effort to appoint a female deputy head of the General Sports Authority for the women’s section, which was reported by Al-Arabiya on 5/11/1437 AH. They mentioned that less than a week after her appointment, she attended games in Brazil, and that Saudi Arabia participated in these games with eleven athletes, including four female athletes whose names were mentioned. This news – if true – does not bode well for this country, and how great is the calamity in this event which shows the extent of dissolution and decline that some Saudi girls have reached. We seek refuge in Allah from failure. I had previously written a statement titled: “The Danger of Sports Clubs for Girls” published on 5/7/1430 AH, and another titled: “Relying on Scholars, Not the Shura Council, Regarding the Ruling on Physical Education for Girls” published on 20/7/1435 AH.
Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said: {Then remind with the Quran whoever fears My threat}. And the best reminder in these painful occasions for both the rulers and the ruled, to warn and protect them from the trials of Westerners, Westernizers and their like, are the words of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: {O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet}, and His words: {And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might (40) [And they are] those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome [of all] matters}, and His words: {Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the desires of those who do not know (18) Indeed, they will never avail you against Allah at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allah is the protector of the righteous}, and His words: {And judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you}, and His words: {Then is it the judgment of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who are certain [in faith]}, and His words: {And whoever exchanges the favor of Allah after it has come to him – then indeed, Allah is severe in penalty}, and His words: {That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves}, and His words: {Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep? (97) Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play? (98) Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people}, and His words: {And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word [i.e., deserved decree] comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction}, and His words: {But if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do}, and His words: {And never will the Jews and the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, “Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.” If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper}, and His words about some of the People of the Book: {And do not believe except in those who follow your religion.” Say, “Indeed, the [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah”}, and in these two verses, guidance is restricted to Allah’s guidance, and whatever else is blindness and misguidance, and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has said: {And what can be beyond truth except error?}
I ask Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to protect this country, both government and people, from all evil, and to guide its rulers to all that brings them and their subjects righteousness, success, and happiness in this world and the Hereafter. Indeed, He is All-Hearing, All-Responding.
And may Allah’s peace, blessings, and benedictions be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
[Dated: 10/10/2016 CE, 9th Muharram 1438 AH]
Saheehus-Seerah 