ملف ١٩١٧/٧٥٦ الجزء ١ "النشرات العربية أرقام ١ إلى ٦٥" [و‎‎٥‎٧‎٣] (١٢٤٠/١١٥٠)

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ARABIA.
The Sherif s Religious Views.
On July 28, 1917, the Sherif of Mecca explained at some
length to Colonel Wilson before me his dogmatic position He
began by sketching the original tenets of the Wahabi sect—its
pmitanism, its literalism and its asceticism. After the Egyptian
conquest of ISiejd the sect fell away very quickly in numbers and
enthusiasm, till of late years it was practically confined to Aridh.
I he Nomads, \\ ushm and Qasim had all weakened so much as
to be practically Sunni.
About four years ago there was a sudden revival. The
Sherif is doubtful as to whether this can be ascribed to Ibn
Sand or not. At any rate, funds were obtained from some
where, and A ahabite missionaries went up to Qasim, amongst
the Ateiba, Meteir and Sbei, and into Mecca and Taif. The
first tenet of the new preachers was that the orthodox Sunnis
and Shias (especially the Shias), were infidels. The Emir of
Mecca was as convicted a Kafir as the Turks. The constructive
side of the new creed was curious ; they preached an exaggerated
fatalism : “ God does everything ; ” they forbade medicine to the
sick, discouraged trade, building and forethought. A favourite
saying was, “ If a man fall into a well, leave it to God to pull
him out.”
The missionaries were at first successful in great part, and
the Sherif took alarm at the prospect. He sent Sidi Abdullah
rapidly into Nejd, and by a show of force recovered the Ateiba,
and most of the Meteir, and bound them again to the Emirate of
Mecca. He also seems to have taken steps to counter-preach the
new dogmas in Qasim itself, and in a short time the second
Wahabite movement appeared to have spent itself. It was,
however, only dormant, and in the last year or so missionaries
have again been issuing from Aridh, and agitating the
neighbourhood.
Ibn Saud has increased the unrest by his military policy.
He has called out his levies two and three times in the year,
discriminating between town and town ; from one he will demand
a contribution of men ; and from another a composition in
money. This has particularly annoyed Aneyza, Boreyda and
Russ, rich and comfortable towns, fond of silk and tobacco, and
not too fond of prayer. Their disaffection is wide, and the
Sherif regards it as an embarrassment, since his ambitions
extend to the limits of the Ateiba and Meteir only, and he has
no desire to be involved in any question of the suzerainty of the
Qasim towns. At present there is a sharp cleavage between
Aridh and Qasim, which any external encouragement, or un
wise internal act, might inflame into an open breach.
We then asked the Sherif about the position of the Shias.
Towards the Wahabis, he said, they were extremely hostile.
Other than that, he could not see in them any particular policy.