Fazl-e-Umar — Page 364
Fazle Umar 364 Arabs…The Sultan was not careful in the wording of the treaty and he behaved like a typical Muslim. A Muslim is always very trusting of others even though one should never be too trusting when it comes to treaties. One should be very careful and should select the words with great care and attention. Although I appreciate that this treaty is with some British firms and not with the govern- ment and it is possible that the firm may not have meant to deceive and behave treacherously but the words are such that at some point if the firm changes its intentions, it can cause problems for Sultan Ibn Saud. However, despite being aware of these things we did not deem it proper to make too much noise over it. Because we thought what is the point of defaming the Sultan over this? This would weaken the Sultan and thereby weaken the power of the Arabs. It is now our duty to help the Sultan through our prayers and organise Islamic opinion in such a way that no power may be able to take advantage of the weakness of the Sultan. ” (Al-Fazl, 3 Dec 1935, pg10). At one point during the Second World War the German army gained victory upon victory. Their forces had penetrated the land of Egypt and the conquests of the German General Rommel had acquired legendary proportions. The defeat of the Allies looked imminent. In those days far from the arena of war and far from the political arena, although the Imam of the Community was occupied day and night with reli- gious and spiritual matters, this wise, enterprising and intelligent leader delivered a powerful sermon about the magnificence and grandeur of the holy sites and about their protection. He stated: “The war has now reached a critical stage that the Holy Lands of Islam are within its range. No matter how much we may disagree with the religious beliefs of the Egyptians, no matter how much we disagree with their interpre- tation of Islam, we cannot deny that they also believe in our God, our Prophet