The Friday sermon by Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca that hinted at a possible normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, has stirred a debate on social media.
In his Friday sermon, al-Sudais spoke of peace and kindness with non-Muslims, making specific reference to Jews.
The comments came less than a month after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – a close ally of the Kingdom in the Gulf – recognized Israel, leaving questions on Saudi Arabia’s next move in this regard.
He stated several events from the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) life in which he maintained peace with non-Muslims, especially Jews.
He mentioned how Prophet dealt with a Jewish neighbor who eventually converted to Islam.
When the course of healthy human dialogue is neglected, parts of people’s civilizations will collide, and the language that will become prevalent is one of violence, exclusion, and hatred.
He also advised people to remain loyal and obedient towards the leaders and authorities and to stay away from the “misguided factions and groups.”
The statements have caused unrest among Muslims on social media who blame the cleric for exploiting the platform of Islam’s holiest mosque to make ground for the Saudi government.
He related other stories on the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) ability to maintain harmony with non-Muslims, especially Jews.
A Friday lecture by Grand Mosque imam Abdul Rahman al-Sudais in Mecca has been seen by some Arabs and Muslims as a step toward normalization with Israel. During his speech, Sudais stated that Muslims have a need to treat non-Muslims with dignity and respect.
