“We feel especially attached to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for thinking of us when we faced floods recently,” said Rehmatullah Nawaz Shah, a 54-year-old pilgrim from Sindh. “It was he who ordered a telethon for the flood victims, and Saudis rallied behind him to help Pakistan. Our television stations showed the enthusiasm with which Saudis took part in that telethon. The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is not ordinary. Whenever we face a crisis, it is Saudi Arabia that comes to our rescue. We are praying for the good health and long life of King Abdullah.”

Some of the pilgrims said they felt the king was the most respected spokesman for Islam around the globe. “In a divided world, he is the voice of moderation. He has presented the best face of Islam to the outside world,” said Zainuddin Azam Khan, from Karachi.

“He has demonstrated to Muslims the world over the virtues of pragmatism. He opened dialogue with the West. We all know that those in the West who harbor animosity toward Islam will not change, but King Abdullah’s steps on the world stage have run them out of excuses. As a Pakistani, my heart swells with pride whenever we see his smiling picture. We are praying for him. We heard he has not been well. May Allah keep him well. We need his leadership.”

King Abdullah’s position of respect among Pakistanis extends to that nation’s leadership, as well. “He means well for Pakistan. Whenever we have a political crisis, we always look up to the king to resolve it. He is respected by all parties,” said Yawar Hussain, from Lahore.

“We are paying a heavy price because we are the only Muslim nation to have a nuclear bomb. The enemies of Muslims do not like this fact. So they are using all kinds of machinations to destroy us. We are caught up in wars that are not our own. All these wars have sapped our energies and demoralized our youngsters. Things are so bad that instead of the nuclear weapons defending us we are being made to protect them at all times. It is because of this critical scenario that we need King Abdullah to help us come out of these crises.”

According to some Pakistani pilgrims, respect and admiration for Saudi kings is nothing new in their country. “The late King Faisal was hugely popular in Pakistan,” said Abid Ghani, a businessman from Sialkot. “My second son, who is an engineer now, was named after him. What a great king he was, and he was immensely concerned about all Muslim nations and especially Pakistan. We have streets and mosques named after him. Now, King Abdullah is similarly very popular. He is highly admired. As the custodian of Islam’s two holy mosques, he commands the respect of all Muslims. Through his sagacious leadership, he has been able to steer the Ummah away from harm’s way.”

Saudis can take pride in the fact that King Abdullah is as loved and respected abroad as he is among his own people. “Long live King Abdullah,” said Amina Hafeez, a Pakistani mother of three from Jeddah. “Imagine a few years ago. There was so much uncertainty, and all our leaders were clueless. It was King Abdullah who arrived on the scene like a shining knight and restored the pride of Muslims. He called all Muslim leaders to Saudi Arabia for important confabulations and took on board the religious leaders and charted a moderate course for the well being of the Muslim world. His contribution is immense. It is not without reason that he is known as the King of Humanity. May God bless him. May he lead the Muslim world for many years to come. We missed him at Haj this year. Insha Allah, he will be there to comfort pilgrims soon.”