Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman al-Arifi ( ar, محمد بن عبد الرحمن العريفي, born 15 July 1970) is a Saudi Arabian author and
Da'i
A da'i ( ar, داعي, dāʿī, inviter, caller, ) is generally someone who engages in Dawah, the act of inviting people to Islam.
See also
* Dawah
* Da'i al-Mutlaq, "the absolute (unrestricted) missionary" (Arabic: الداعي المطلق)
* ...
. He is a graduate of
King Saud 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 ...
, and member of the
Muslim World League and the
Association of Muslim Scholars
The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq (Arabic: هيئة علماء المسلمين في العراق ''Hayat al-Ulama al-Muslimin Fi al-Iraq'') is a group of religious leaders in Iraq. It was formed on the April 14, 2003, four days after th ...
.
Social media popularity
Al-Arefe has over 20 million followers on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. As of 6 May 2019, Al-Arefe had over 24 million likes on Facebook, which places his account in the top 100 worldwide, and #10 in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
and in the Middle East. BBC claims that Al-Arefe is regarded as a scholar "Brad Pitt". Al-Arefe announced his fatwa for "jihad" against Syrian to his jihadist followers on social media.
Al-Arefe engaged in a diatribe against Shias, referred to them as "evil", used the label of "infidel" against Shia cleric
Ayatollah Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been described ...
and boasted that there are no mausoleums, public statues, Christian crosses in Saudi Arabia. Al-Arefe described Jews as cowardly in battle and claimed that their tanks had urine and feces in them since they wouldn't get out of them. He also claimed they used bags or diapers in the tank. He described Jews as too cowardly to fight and said they were going to hide around the Gharqad trees they were allegedly planting.
Al-Arefe supported the
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
in Egypt. Al-Arefe was lauded by Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood President Mursi and al-Arefe and
Salman al-Ouda
Salman bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان بن فهد بن عبد الله العودة) or Salman al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان العودة), ''Salman al-Oadah'', ''Salman al-Audah'', or ''Salman al-Awdah'' ( ar, سلمان بن فه ...
were named as Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers. He is a known associate of them.
Muslim Brotherhood affiliation was denied for Arefe and
Adil al-Kalbani
Adil al-Kalbani () is a Saudi Arabian Muslim cleric of Afro-Saudi background who served as the Imam of the Great Mosque of Mecca.
Biography Early years and studies
Adil al-Kalbani was born in Riyadh on April 4, 1958 to poor emigrants from Ras ...
by al-Kalbani, saying that they are affiliated with the Union of Muslim Scholars.
A video Al-Arefe was posted by Ibrahim al-Musalem on a tweet about the
Charlie Hebdo shooting.
Holiday celebrations and greetings to Christians by Muslims was banned by Al-Arefe. He strictly explicitly banned religious greetings to non-Muslims. Al-Arefe forbade the usage of
Christmas trees
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern G ...
.
He said that Syria jihad is incumbent and did apologia for
al-Nusra
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, visiting the
Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque
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 ...
in Qatar.
In July 2015, Al-Arafe wrote a critique on Facebook of the Egyptian Ramadan TV series Jewish Quarter, complaining that it showed Jews in a positive light, when in reality Jews were terrible people. It was picked up by Arabic media.
Al-Arefe had a discussion with Saudi
Deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...
and then tweeted and posted a photo of them smiling together. The discussion was held on the same day as
Saudi Vision 2030
Saudi Vision 2030 ( ar, رؤية السعودية ٢٠٣٠ ''ruʾyah al-suʿūdiyah'') is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, in ...
began. He asked God to bless Prince Mohammad and posted his thanks. al-Arefe met with Prince Mohamed bin Salman again and talked with him and posted the photo of them smiling together on Twitter. They talked about the futures of the Islamic world and of the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia).
King Saud 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 ...
employs Al-Arefe.
Arifi on Twitter vowed for Russia and Assad to be defeated over the
Battle of Aleppo
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
.
Condolences over the death of the son of
Salman al-Ouda
Salman bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان بن فهد بن عبد الله العودة) or Salman al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان العودة), ''Salman al-Oadah'', ''Salman al-Audah'', or ''Salman al-Awdah'' ( ar, سلمان بن فه ...
and his wife were given on Twitter by Mohamad al-Arefe.
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 b ...
, 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-Maqdis ...
, and
Hani al-Sibai 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- ...
,
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,
Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais,
Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al Shaykh and others were included on a death list by ISIS.
Al-Arefe's Twitter account was suspended in 2018. Since that time he was rarely seen in public. In February 2021 it was reported that al-Arefe is under watch by Saudi government authorities and that his moves and actions are being followed using spy devices and a tracking knee band.
The 2013 Egyptian coup d'état
In July 2013, Al-Arefe was detained by the Saudi authorities for using YouTube to criticize the military coup d'état in Egypt, an ally of Saudi Arabia.
[Christian Science Monitor: "Saudi Arabia presses 'YouTube imams' to toe the line on Yemen – Popular Muslim clerics are using social media to stir dissent beyond the purview of government-controlled mosques and satellite TV stations. Saudi Arabia is sensitive to criticism of its war in Yemen" By Taylor Luck]
2 June 2015 It was speculated that the arrest was in response to a complaint filed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its Saudi counterpart. The complaint claimed that Al-Arefe was intervening in Egyptian domestic affairs. Before his release, he signed a pledge not to interfere in Egyptian affairs and was released afterwards but placed under house arrest. He was also banned from traveling to
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, where he was scheduled to deliver a religious lecture there. The Saudi authorities never announced the reason behind Al-Arefe's arrest.
Sanctions
In May 2013, Al-Arefe was banned from entering Switzerland for a period of 5 years, for holding extreme views, Switzerland said.
[
In March 2014, he was banned by the Home Office from returning to Britain after a series of sermons in ]Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, Birmingham and London. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We can confirm Mohammad Al-Arefe has been excluded from the United Kingdom. The Government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the UK if we believe they represent a threat to our society. Coming here is a privilege that we refuse to extend to those who seek to subvert our shared values."
In October 2014, he was jailed for 40 days for stating that the train linking Mecca
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 sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
and other holy sites was "one of the worst in the world".
Denmark banned him from entering the country for two years in May 2017.
See also
* Islam in Saudi Arabia
Sunni Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. The connection between Islam and modern-day Saudi Arabia is uniquely strong. The kingdom is called the "home of Islam"; the kingdom is also the birthplace of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, with all ...
* Yusuf al-Qaradawi
* Salman al-Ouda
Salman bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان بن فهد بن عبد الله العودة) or Salman al-Ouda ( ar, سلمان العودة), ''Salman al-Oadah'', ''Salman al-Audah'', or ''Salman al-Awdah'' ( ar, سلمان بن فه ...
* Aid al-Qarni
Shaykh Dr. Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni (, also spelt al-Qarnee and ʻĀʼiḍ Quranī, born 1 January 1959), is a Saudi Islamic Muslim scholar, author, and activist.
Al-Qarni is best known for his self-help book ''La Tahzan'' (Don't Be Sad), wh ...
* Mohammed Rateb al-Nabulsi
* Tareq Al-Suwaidan
Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan ( ar, طارق محمد السويدان) (September 15th,1953) is a Kuwaiti Islamic author and speaker, and businessman. He has been among the 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2022. Al-Suwaidan is considered to adopt ...
* Omar Abd al-Kafi
Omar Abdul-Kafi ( ar, عمر عبد الكافي) is an Egyptian writer, who is known for his books, lectures on TV.
He has a YouTube channel with over 8.97 million subscribers.
Books
He wrote dozens of books in Arabic, such as:
* The True Prom ...
References
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20180301071056/http://arefe.com/
*https://twitter.com/MohamadAlarefe
*https://plus.google.com/110212684724359342394
*https://www.facebook.com/3refe
*https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaNS3on9m_7LmSpI2GC65Bw
*https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpTD6Gq8vmoVss-gyntOBJg
*https://www.youtube.com/user/hamode656
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arefe, Mohamad Al-
1970 births
Living people
20th-century imams
21st-century imams
Saudi Arabian imams
Saudi Arabian Salafis
Saudi Arabian activists
21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Saudi Arabian writers
Critics of Shia Islam
Islam and antisemitism
Critics of atheism