VIDEO: Friday sermon in Makkah hints on Saudi normalization with Israel

A sermon by Sheikh Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the Imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque, has caused a stir on social media after some interpreted it a prelude to Saudi normalization with Israel. 

Sudais conveyed a Friday sermon in which he preached dialogue and kindness to non-Muslims, making specific reference to Jews.

نافق #السديس ورب الكعبة، وفي صحة الصلاة خلفه نظر، إذ يلحد في الحرم، ويمهد للتطبيع والخيانة من فوق المنبر المكي الشريف. #التطبيع_خيانة pic.twitter.com/c923kk2JMM

— د. محمد الصغير (@drassagheer) September 4, 2020

The comments came less than a month after Israel and the UAE announced plans to normalize diplomatic ties amid speculation about whether Saudi Arabia would follow suit.

The imam stressed upon worshippers to avoid “any misconceptions about correct beliefs in the heart, coexisting with having healthy dealings in international relations and interpersonal exchanges.”

الطبلة #عبدالرحمن_السديس يلقي خطبة الجمعة هذا اليوم بالحرم الشريف للتمهيد ل #التطبيع_السعودي_الإسرائيلي

دائما يُردّد آل سعود – ابعدوا الحج والحرمين عن السياسة
لكن إن كانت لهم حاجة جعلوا منابر الحرمين مُسخّرة لها pic.twitter.com/klTeI34h6Y

— دبلوماسي قديم ✪ (@d_iplo) September 4, 2020

He mentioned several stories from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s life in which he maintained good relations with non-Muslims. 

These consisted of the Prophet ﷺ performing wudhu from the bottle of a non-Muslim woman, forming a peace agreement with the Jewish community of the Khaybar region, and dealing so remarkably with a Jewish neighbor that he ultimately converted to Islam.

“When the course of healthy human dialogue is forsaken, parts of mankind’s civilizations will clash, and the language that will become prevalent is one of hatred, violence, exclusion,” Sudais said. 

استغلال #السديس منبر الحرم الشريف لتسويق التطبيع، والدعوة إلى طاعة الحكام القتلة، دليل جديد على أن مستقبل الإسلام في خطر إذا استمر الحرمان الشريفان بيد حكام سفلة، وكهنة لا ضمائر لهم..

— محمد المختار الشنقيطي (@mshinqiti) September 5, 2020

The Imam stressed the importance of remaining obedient towards authorities and leaders and being aware of “misguided groups and factions.”

The remarks were met with criticism on social media, with many netizens accusing Sudais of misusing Islam’s holiest mosque platform.

Sudais also used his sermon to talk about the Al-Aqsa Mosque status in Jerusalem, which he said had been “taken as prisoner.” 

“This is an issue that is of highest priority to the Muslims, and it must not be forgotten amid new struggles that appear,” he told worshippers. “It must be kept in mind, yet without exaggerations in the media or battles on the internet.”

تناقضات السديس من الاحتلال الإسر!ئيلي قبل وبعد:

➡️يدعو الله بأن ينقذ المسجد الأقصى من رجس اليهود المعتدين وأن ينصر أهل غزة ويمنحهم التمكين، ويبكي على استشهاد احمد ياسين.
⬅️يبرر للتطبيع والتعامل مع إسرائيل مستدلاً بروايات نبوية لا يتطابق سياقها التاريخي مع الواقع الحالي. pic.twitter.com/VYoBBowb8E

— قبل وبعد (@be4after) September 5, 2020

The normalization deal between the UAE and Israel has raised concerns about the sensitive status of Al-Aqsa, the third-holiest site in Islam. 

At the end of the sermon, Sudais prayed to Allah to “rescue Al-Aqsa mosque from the clutches of the aggressors” and grant it to be “a revered location until the Day of Reckoning.”

His stance was seen as contradictory by netizens, many of whom accused him of betraying the Palestinian cause.

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