Saudi Arabia is the heartland of Islam, one of the fastest growing religions in the world with more than a billion followers. The Kingdom, a staunch defender of Islamic causes, occupies a special place in the Islamic world as the home of the Holy Kaaba, toward which Muslims all over the world turn devoutly in prayer five times a day.
Islam has profoundly affected the history and development of the Arabian Peninsula in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular. In the 18th century, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab, an Islamic scholar from the central Najd, joined forces with Muhammad ibn Saud, the ruler of Daraeyyah, to bring Najd and the rest of Arabia back to the original and undefiled form of Islam.
Saudi Arabia is committed to preserving its Islamic tradition in all areas of government and society. Islam guides not only the lives of the Saudi people, but also the policies and functions of the government. The Holy Qur’an is the constitution of the Kingdom and Shariah (Islamic law) is the basis of its legal system.
To understand the Kingdom’s history and its political, economic and social development, it is necessary to have an understanding of Islam, which permeates every aspect of the country and its people.
Islam is a total way of life. It prescribes order for individuals, societies and governments, codifies laws related to family relationship, business matters, etiquette, dress, food, hygiene and much more.
The Qur’an is the word of God as revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. It is the final revelation and Muhammad is the final Prophet.
For 14 centuries the Holy Qur’an has illuminated the lives of Muslims with its eloquent message, shaping their everyday lives, anchoring them to a unique system of law and inspiring them by its guiding principles.
The Sunnah (teachings and sayings of Prophet Muhammad) complements the Holy Qur’an as it embodies his meticulously documented teachings that were preserved by his companions in a body of writings called the Hadith.
Beginning from King Abdul Aziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, all Saudi rulers have reiterated their commitment to Shariah.
During his 20-year rule, King Fahd took Saudi Arabia to new heights as the leader of the Islamic world. He has been offering strong support for Islamic causes and helping Muslims all over the world.
The King Fahd era witnessed the formation of a special ministry for Islamic affairs — the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Propagation and Guidance — about six years ago, to reorganize and promote the Kingdom’s Islamic activities within the country and abroad.
The government also set up the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs under the chairmanship of Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation. The Council supervises the Kingdom’s Islamic activities and sanctions finances for Islamic projects in various countries.
King Fahd initiated the opening of a large number of dawa (call and guidance) centers all over the country, to propagate Islam among its non-Muslim expatriate population. These centers — most of them financed by businessmen and philanthropists — are affiliated to the Islamic Affairs Ministry.
Thousands of expatriate workers, especially from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Britain, the United States, Canada, Bangladesh and Egypt, have embraced Islam over the past years, thanks to the efforts of dawa centers.
Saudi leaders have been working tirelessly to strengthen Islamic solidarity. In his addresses on the occasion of Haj and Eid festivities, King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah called upon Muslims to forget their petty differences and stand united to confront the challenges.
Saudi Arabia mediated between Qatar and Bahrain to settle their territorial dispute. Riyadh was instrumental in restoring peace between Egypt and Qatar in 1997. It also helped resolve the Lockerbie crisis in 1999.
Saudi Arabia hosts the headquarters of the Muslim World League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the World Assembly for Muslim Youth and other organizations dedicated to preserving Islamic interests.
In many respects, the Kingdom has been responsive to the needs of the Islamic world. It contributes generously to the Islamic Solidarity Fund, which provides financial assistance for the community’s developmental and welfare projects.
Saudi Arabia is a leading member of the Islamic Development Bank, based in Jeddah. During the past 25 years, the bank has provided more than $30 billion in loans, grants and aid for member countries to implement development projects.
According to the figures published by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia has established and financed more than 1,600 mosques and Islamic centers in major world cities. The Kingdom’s universities have been providing scholarships to Muslim students from all over the world, especially to pursue their higher studies in Islamic topics.
The Makkah-based Muslim World League gives priority to Islamic dawa activities and supervises activities of Islamic centers in various parts of the world. It sponsors more than 1,000 Islamic preachers in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Saudi leaders have made it a tradition to host thousands of pilgrims from Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Palestine, China and other countries every year. As part of his support for Muslim causes, King Fahd ordered holding of telethons on Saudi Television to collect donations for Palestinians, Bosnians and Afghans.
On his directives, the Islamic Affairs Ministry organizes an international Qur’an recitation and memorization competition every year, with the participation of contestants from all over the Islamic world. Last year 172 competitors from 112 countries and 60 organizations took part in the event.
The Sacrificial Meat Utilization Project is another example for the Kingdom’s support for Islamic causes. The humanitarian project is aimed at utilizing the meat of animals sacrificed by pilgrims during the Haj season every year. The government established modern abattoirs and cold-storage facilities in Mina for the purpose. The Islamic Development Bank, which supervises the project, has been sending the meat to feed the poor in 27 Muslim countries.
The Kingdom has given more than $75 billion in foreign aid during the past years, especially to Muslim countries in Africa and Asia. It has donated over $600 million in aid to Bosnia alone to reconstruct the war-torn state. It took part in the rebuilding of Bosnia by establishing a number of educational, health and welfare projects.
According to a new book, entitled "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: One Hundred Years in the Service of Arabs and Arab Affairs," Arab countries were the largest beneficiaries of the Saudi foreign aid. They received 40 percent of the total foreign aid.
The Kingdom, the book says, continues to support a number of regional financial institutions. It contributes 22.9 percent of the capital of Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, 14.5 percent of the Arab Monetary Fund, 24.4 percent of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa and 76 percent of AGFUND’s budget.
This is in addition to the billions of riyals in funds and loans made available to other regional and international organizations, like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the Red Crescent Society.