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hv another flight of eloquence when he addressed a company of Hejazi
S rin Mecca on the eve of his departure for Ta ff on May 23. According
to private accounts of the gathering His Majesty indulged m extremely strong
lano-nao-e about the abuses complained of by pilgrims and, while excusing the
irregularities practised by exploiters of the poorer sort, criticized m the severest
terms people in intermediate positions and most of all those of the highest class,
including it is said, his own officials. He is reported to have spoken of chopping
off heads’ as a remedy which M had thought of applying at once, and with his
own hand but for which on the present occasion he was substituting a warning ;
and to have attacked the younger of his hearers for their inclination to read
Egyptian political literature and to tread in the materialistic ways of Europe.
2. There may be a goojA deal of exaggeration in the version which I have
summarized in the preceding parag’raph but the speech seems neveitheless to
have been intended as a cautionary sermon for the special benefit of the Hejazis.
The IJmm-al-Qura published on May 27, a long account of it in which it is pos
sible to detect the boom of menace in the sea of somewhat militant piety to which
Ibn Sand has accustomed his Moslem hearers. “ You know ”, he said “ that
we entered the Hejaz only after we have been fought against in our home. By
God, we do not withstand anything unless we are first attacked, and if we are
attacked we defend our religion, ourselves, our nation and home ; and God grants
us success which is a blessing from him. When we arrive at a place we order
its people to follow the commands in the Holy Book and the traditions of the
Prophet. We are only warriors in the cause of God
3. The King, according to the Umm-al-Qura report, described his readiness
to inquire into the state of the people and his care for their welfare. “ Oh people
of this holy and sacred land ”, he cried, “ by God, I look at the old as my father,
the middle aged as my brother and the young as a son. What I say is what
1 believe and God is the best witness He went on to define his attitude
towards modern civilization. He would depart in nothing from the commands
of God as conveyed by the Prophet ; he would accept what was beneficial and
permitted by Islam, opposing what was contrary to it. There was no civiliza
tion preferable or better than that of Islam.
4. Presently the King delivered himself of the following passages :—
“ You must advise ignorant people and guide them to the right path.
If he follows the advice, thank God, but if he refuses he will be
responsible for his sin,
“ I swear by God that I like peace and endeavour to maintain it but in
ease I am afflicted, I keep still till the very end, and if the time of
defence comes I will defend the religion and country.
“ If there is nothing to ride on except spear heads, the compelled one
cannot help riding on them. Then there will be one of two alterna
tives : either happiness or martyrdom, and each of them is a bless
ing from God. We are prepared to meet either of them with open
arms and cheerful faces, as this is the tradition of the Prophet of
God and his friends after him ”.
5. The King went on to divide people generally into three classes, the
helpers, the indifferent, whom efforts should be mad$ to guide in the right way,
and the opposers, whose punishment w r ould be great in this world and in the
next. He called upon his hearers, as being the chiefs and leaders of the nation,
to submit any complaints to him and to give him their guidance, bearing in
mind, however, the injunction of the Caliph Omar to one who sought to advise
him, that it should be “ between me and him ”. He would investigate any com
plaint he received. His hearers should engage in useful work. “ The land of
God is so vast and broad, you should go round about and do some work,
eschewing laziness, which brings evil results ”. He had brought them together
to counsel them, so that the stupid might not be tempted by clemency to per
severe in error. He warned them against apostasy and deviation from Islam
in these holy lands. Any that he saw guilty of such deviation would be severly
punished, as would be those who were tempted by the devil to commit subversive
actions. These he would treat as dynamite. Anyone who had a grievance
against another could appeal to him, even though the complaint was against his
son Feysal ; and, if he* neglected the complaint and upheld his son, then his owm
conduct would give just ground for complaint.
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