Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz al-Sudais ( ar, عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلسُّدَيْسِ, ʻAbd ar-Raḥman ibn ʻAbd al-ʻAziz as-Sudais), better known as Al-Sudais,
is one of the nine
imams
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...
of the
Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram in
Makkah
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...
; the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques;
[ ] a renowned
Qāriʾ (reciter of the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...
);
he was the Dubai International Holy Qur'an Award's "Islamic Personality Of the Year" in 2005.
![Sheikh Sudais family tree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Sheikh_Sudais_family_tree.jpg)
Al-Sudais has preached Islam's opposition to "explosions and terrorism",
[
][ ] and has called for peaceful inter-faith dialogue,
but also been sharply criticized for vilifying non-Muslims and especially Jews in his sermons.
[
] He has denounced the treatment of Palestinians by
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli (b ...
settlers and the state of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
,
and called for more aid to be sent to Palestinians.
He has also been noted for identifying women's un-Islamic behavior as in part responsible for the winter 2006 drought in Saudi Arabia.
[
][
] In 2016, he delivered the very important
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried o ...
sermon to a multitude of pilgrims gathered at
Arafat after prayers.
[
][
]
Life and career
Al-Sudais comes from the
Anazzah clan, and he had
memorized the Quran by the age of 12.
Growing up in
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the ...
, Al-Sudais studied at the Al Muthana Bin Harith Elementary School, and afterwards the Riyadh Scientific Institution from which he graduated in 1979 with a grade of excellent.
He obtained a degree in
Sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
from
Riyadh University
King Saud University (KSU, ar, جامعة الملك سعود) is a public university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz to address the country's skilled worker shortage, it is the first university in the K ...
in 1983, his
Master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in Islamic fundamentals from the Sharia College of
Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University
Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (), commonly known as Al-Imam University, is a public university in Baladiyah al-Shemal in northern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1953. represented by the College of Sharia Sciences (no ...
in 1987 and received his
Ph.D. in Islamic Sharia from
Umm al-Qura University in 1995 while working there as an assistant professor after serving at Riyadh University.
Sudais took up his imamate in 1984, at just 24-years of age, and conducted his first sermon at Masjid Al-Haram in July 1984, other than this Sheikh
Saud Al-Shuraim
Saud ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Shuraim (Arabic: سعود بن ابراهيم بن محمد الشريم; born 19 January 1964), is one of the prayer leaders and Friday preachers at the Grand Mosque Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. A Quranic reciter ...
- has been his partner in Taraweeh Prayers from 1994 till 2006, and again in 2014, 2019 and 2020. They were titled "Twins of the Haram".
[ In 2005-2020, Sheikh ]Abdullah Awad Al Juhany
Abdullah Awad Al Juhany ( ar, عبد الله عواد الجهني), is one of the nine Imams of the Grand Mosque Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. He holds a B.A. from the faculty of Qur'an at the Islamic University of Madinah, and a doctorate (Ph. ...
and other imams of Masjid al-Haram
, native_name_lang = ar
, religious_affiliation = Islam
, image = Al-Haram mosque - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg
, image_upright = 1.25
, caption = Aerial view of the Great Mosque of Mecca
, map ...
such as Sheikh Yasser Al-Dossary and Sheikh Bander Baleela took over Al-Shuraim's position as imam of the first Rakat of the Khatm Al Quran (End of the Quran) Taraweeh prayer.
In 2005, Al-Sudais was named by the Dubai International Holy Quran Award
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award ( ar, جائزة دبي الدولية للقرآن الكريم) is an annual award given for memorization of the Qur'an sponsored by the government of Dubai. It has given hundreds of awards to people who ...
(DIHQA) Organising Committee as its 9th annual "Islamic Personality Of the Year" in recognition of his devotion to the Quran and Islam. When accepting his award in Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...
, he said: "The message of Islam and Muslims is modesty, fairness, security, stability, sympathy, harmony and kindness."[ ]
From 2010 to 2012, he visited India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Britain. Among his activities has been hosting a seminar at the Higher Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies in Malaysia in 2011, where he spoke about Islamic civilization against the backdrop of modern challenges.[
He was appointed head of the "Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques at the rank of minister" by royal decree on 8 May 2012.][ ] He is also a member of the Arabic Language Academy at Mecca.
Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi
Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi ( ar, عبد الزراق المهدي), is a Syrian Islamist cleric who is actively involved fighting in the Syrian Civil War against the Syrian government. He originates from Damascus's Al-Salihiyah district and was bo ...
, Nabil Al-Awadi, Tariq Abdelhaleem Tariq Abdul Haleem (طارق عبد الحليم) is an Egyptian Islamist cleric residing in Canada in Ontario's city of Mississauga and head of the Dar al-Arqam institution there. Tariq Abdul Haleem, along with Abu Qatada, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi ...
, and Hani al-Sibai
Hani Mohammed Yusuf al-Siba'i (هاني محمد يوسف السباعي) (born 1 March 1961 in Qaylubiyah, Egypt) is an Egyptian Islamic scholar who was a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad and now lives in London as a political refugee. Efforts ...
who are linked to Al-Qaeda, in addition to others like Adnan al-Aroor
Shaykh Adnan Mohammed al-Aroor ( ar, الشيخ عدنان محمد العرعور, born 1948) is a Salafi scholar from Hama, Syria.
al-Aroor appears regularly on TV stations in Saudi Arabia, including the widely watched satellite channel al-Sa ...
, Abd Al-Aziz Al-Fawzan
Abd Al-Aziz Fawzan Al-Fawzan (Arabic: فوزان، عبد العزيز بن فوزان بن صالح) is an Islamic scholar and author in Saudi Arabia. He is also known as ''Abd al-Aziz b. Fawzan al-Fawzan'', ''Abd Al-Aziz Al-Fawzan''.
Backgroun ...
, Mohamad al-Arefe
Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman al-Arifi ( ar, محمد بن عبد الرحمن العريفي, born 15 July 1970) is a Saudi Arabian author and Da'i. He is a graduate of King Saud University, and member of the Muslim World League and the Association o ...
, Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al Shaykh
Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الله آل الشيخ ''ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Āllah Āl ash-Sheikh''; born 30 November 1940) is a Saudi Arabian Islamic scholar who is the current Grand Mufti of Sau ...
and others were included on a death list by ISIS.
In 2017, Al-Sudais supervised the film One Day In The Haram, a film about the Haram in Makkah, told through the eyes of the workers.
Views, statements, prayers
Conflict resolution among Muslims
In 2003, Sudais stated that he believes that youth need to be taught Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
, including the precepts of the prohibition on killing oneself and the prohibition against attacking non-Muslims living in Islamic countries. Sudais has also said that Islamic youth should not "indiscriminately hurl the label of atheism and not to confuse between legitimate jihad and…the terrorizing of peaceable people."
Sudais has said that there is no room for extremism and sectarianism in Islam and that Islam teaches a moderate path. He said the solution to problems that Muslims face in Palestine, Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
, Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, Yemen and Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
lies in following the teachings of Islam in letter and spirit. He called for resolution of conflicts through dialogue and negotiations taking into consideration the social and economic benefits that can be achieved by resolving these disputes.[
]
Sudais also criticized the Lal Masjid Lal Masjid or Red Mosque may refer to:
*Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Pettah, Sri Lanka
*Lal Masjid, Islamabad, Pakistan
**Siege of Lal Masjid, 2007
** 2008 Lal Masjid bombing
* Lal Masjid, Delhi, India
*Red Mosque, Berat
The Red Mosque ( sq, Xhamia e Ku ...
administration during the 2007 Red Mosque crisis in Islamabad, Pakistan. He urged the militants and the government to agree to a peaceful resolution through dialogue and urged both parties to protect peace.
Sudais is also known for his sermons calling on believers to help other Muslims in war-torn regions. He has actively spoken out against the persecution of Palestinians by Israeli settlers and the state of Israel, and has pleaded for medical supplies and food to be sent to the Palestinians.
Sin and drought
In a sermon on 13 November 2006, Al-Sudais preached that the ongoing drought was caused by the proliferation of sin in Saudi society and the behavior of women in the kingdom who allegedly were "unveiling, mingling with men, and being indifferent to the hijab."
Prayers for inter-faith peace
In June 2004, Sudais led a following of 10,000 in prayers for inter-faith peace and harmony in London. Racial Equality Minister Fiona Mactaggart
Fiona Margaret Mactaggart (born 12 September 1953) is a British politician and former primary school teacher who has been chair of the Fawcett Society since 2018. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Slough from 1 ...
attended Sudais' sermon at the East London Mosque
The East London Mosque (ELM) is situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets between Whitechapel and Aldgate East. Combined with the adjoining London Muslim Centre and Maryam Centre, it is one of the largest mosques in Europe accommodating ...
. Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...
, who was in Washington, took part by a pre-recorded message Britain's chief Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
, Jonathan Sacks
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United ...
, sent a message of support.
Remarks on Jews
In his sermon of April 19, 2002, broadcast on Saudi 1, Al-Sudais referred to the story in which the Jews turned into "monkeys and pigs."
Read the history and you will know that yesterday's Jews were bad predecessors and today's Jews are worse successors. They are killers of prophets and the scum of the earth. God hurled his curses and indignation on them and made them monkeys and pigs and worshippers '' ic' of tyrants. These are the Jews, a continuous lineage of meanness, cunning, obstinacy, tyranny, evil, and corruption.…May God's curses follow them until the Day of Judgement.…Thus, they deserve the curse of God, His angels, and all people.
In 2007, Sudais prayed to God to "terminate" the Jews and has claimed that the Israelis aspired to tear down the al-Aqsa mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque (, ), also known as Jami' Al-Aqsa () or as the Qibli Mosque ( ar, المصلى القبلي, translit=al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī, label=none), and also is a congregational mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situate ...
and build their temple upon its ruins.
In 2020, Sudais changed his tone. In a sermon on Saudi state television, Sudais called for avoiding "passionate emotions and fiery enthusiasm enthusiasm" towards Jews, arguing the best way to persuade them towards Islam was to "treat them well". He pointed out that the Islamic Prophet Muhammad was good to his Jewish neighbor. The sermon came just a few weeks after the UAE normalized relations with Israel.
Call for all-out war against Shia
On 31 March 2015, an audio recording of al-Sudais was circulated online, accompanied by a photo with a caption stating "Imam of the grand mosque in Mecca calls for all-out war against Shiites." In the recording al-Sudais called for an all-out war against the Shia:
In view of these statements by al-Sudais, Ahmed Abdul Hussein, the editor-in-chief of an Iraqi news agency, stated, "Remember the date 3/31/2015, the day the Shiite-Sunni war was announced. It will last more than crusade wars."
Controversy
Anti-Semitism
Following his 2002 speech, Al-Sudais has been described as an anti-Semite
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
[ ][
] for publicly praying to God to ‘terminate’ the Jews, whom he called "the scum of humanity…the rats of the world…prophet killers…pigs and monkeys",[ ] and as a result has been barred from conferences in the United States and been refused entry to Canada.
Al-Sudais has been listed as an example of theological anti-Semitism by the Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
, when he called curses down upon Jews and labeled them "scum of the earth" in his sermons.
The International Broadcasting Bureau
The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) is the technical support outlet within the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) (former Broadcasting Board of Governors, BBG), which is a U.S. independent agency. The IBB supports the day-to- ...
also has reported the antisemitism of Sudais's April 2002 sermon.[ ]
In a May 2003 interview with NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's Tim Russert
Timothy John Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Wa ...
, the foreign policy adviser to the Saudi crown prince, Adel al-Jubeir
Adel Al-Jubeir ( ar, عادل بن أحمد الجبير; born 1 February 1962) is a Saudi diplomat who is the former Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs and the current Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He is the second person not belon ...
, confirmed al-Sudais's statements, agreed that they were "clearly not right," and stated that he was reprimanded, but was still allowed to preach. He also said that "if he udaishad a choice he would retract these words - he would not have said these words."[
]
MR. RUSSERT: But it went on and on, and you mention imams in Saudi Arabia. This is what a top Saudi Arabian religious leader said, using inflammatory anti-Semitic rhetoric -- "Pray to Allah to terminate Jews. Urge all Muslims to shun peace with Israel." Shaikh Abdelrahman al-Sudais, one of the top imams in Saudi Arabia, called on Muslims to say farewell to peace initiatives with these people, Jews. He prayed to the Muslim God to terminate the Jews, whom he called the scum of humanity, rats of the world, prophet killers, pigs and monkeys.
MR. AL-JUBEIR: That's also incorrect. And he was reprimanded for this.
MR. RUSSERT: He was reprimanded?
MR. AL-JUBEIR: Oh, yes.
MR. RUSSERT: Is he still preaching?
MR. AL-JUBEIR: Yes, he is. But he's not – I think if he had a choice he would retract these words – he would not have said these words. It's clearly not right. You cannot – you cannot defile, you cannot malign other people, certainly not when it comes to their faith.
Al-Sudais has not only attacked Jews, but other non-Muslims, such as Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
s and Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. John Ware on the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'' entitled "A Question of Leadership" from August 21, 2005, cited Al-Sudais referring disparagingly to Christians as "cross-worshippers" and Hindus as "idol worshippers."
Ware pointed out the discrepancy between Sudais's sermons to Saudis with his speech to Western audiences.
questioned the veracity of quotes given in the interview, calling them "deliberately garbled" and the program as a whole "deeply unfair."
The council urged caution, and while condemning any form of anti-semitic remarks, requested verification that these words were indeed spoken by Al-Sudais. After a series of exchanges, the
...