JEDDAH: A number of Pakistani religious scholars and academics who are currently visiting the Kingdom as part of the Program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Umrah and Visits to Madinah have spoken of their deep affection for, and attachment to, Saudi Arabia.

The 20-member delegation, headed by Maulana Attaullah Shahab, leader of Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) in Gilgit-Baltistan, said Saudi Arabia is central to the Muslim world.

“It is toward the Holy Kaaba in Makkah that all we Muslims turn to in prayers five times a day,” he said. “Every single day we pray for the Saudi leadership in its role as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.”

Shahab said his party, the JUI-F, has in its constitution an article that states that the defense of the holy land is mandatory for all party workers.

“As much as possible, our party’s stated policy is to avoid divisions within the Muslim ranks,” he said. “But, if there is the slightest threat to Saudi Arabia, we will sacrifice our last drop of blood to protect it.”

Shahab said the delegation included members selected by prominent religious scholar, Sen. Sajid Mir, chief of Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, and academics from the International Islamic University in Islamabad.

“We were honored to meet Sheikh Salah Al-Budeir, the imam of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and had the good fortune of listening to Grand Mosque Imam Abdullah bin Awwad Al-Johani in Makkah,” he said.

Shahab said Muslims must not lose hope because of what is happening around them. “It is clearly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an that Allah’s help will soon reach us and we will emerge triumphant from all these trials and tribulations,” he said.

“It is important for all of us to hold tightly onto the rope of Allah and to believe in His infinite mercy,” he said.

Shahab welcomed Saudi Arabia’s initiative to create a 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance of which Pakistan is a member. He feels that this alliance should not be limited only to military aspects.

“In the face of gargantuan challenges and mischief on all fronts, it is important to have similar alliances to encompass educational, religious, cultural and political aspects,” he said. “We need to pool all our resources to combat this onslaught on Islam and Islamic countries under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.”

He said the ulema, the Islamic scholars, remain the only hope for solutions in these troubled times. “There may be some black sheep here and there, but by and large the ulema have remained true to the core message of Islam,” he added.