"ملف 61/11 V (D 95) مسائل متنوعة خاصة بالحجاز ونجد" [و‎‎٢‎١‎٦] (٥٣٠/٤٤٨)

IBN SA'UD AND THE FUTURE OF ARABIA
523
official organ of the Hejazi Government and is edited by Sheykh
Yusuf Yasin, the head of the political section of the King's
Diwan. Many people believe that the whole of the important
matter in this issue was submitted to and approved by Ibn
Sa'ud before it was published. For many reasons it is really
of vital importance, not only as affording a clue to the King's
mind but also as showing which way the Arabian wind is blow
ing. Ibn Sa'ud was attacked in this Umm-al-Qurd by his own
son, the Amir Sa'ud, Viceroy of Nejd, and by the Ulema of
Nejd, for exercising a restraining influence on the Akhwan :
" Are you becoming less of a Moslem that you restrain true
believers from attacking the hypocrite and prate to us of policy
and administration? " It is interesting to note the precise
implication of the Arabic word used for " hypocrite " ; it is the
word used by the Prophet himself to describe those who, whilst
outwardly professing the true faith, were at heart idolaters.
The word here undoubtedly refers to the Amir 'Abd'ullah. The
Akhwan themselves waxed bitter in print.
" Have you, oh Imam, summoned us from our tents in our
thousands to exterminate a rat from a hole like Ibn Rifada, or is it
your intention that after we have slain the rat we shall proceed against
the real enemy? "
Another important thing about this number of the Umm-al-Qurd
was that for the first time in any official, semi-official, or demi-
semi-official document published by, or under the auspices of,
the Sa'udian Government, the word " Jihad " was used. The
essence of the use of the word in this case was that the Jihad
was to be of a Wahhabi Power against a Moslem, albeit a non-
Wahhabi country. The word was used repeatedly throughout
the whole number. It was an immensely clever piece of diplo
macy for Ibn Sa'ud to have this published, in spite of the fact
that he was attacked, knowing the effect it might have on the
Foreign Office and on the Amir 'Abdu'llah.
The Amir 'Abdu'llah is the second extraordinarily important
factor in Arabian politics. He has never forgotten, nor will he
ever forgive Ibn Sa'ud for the ejection of the Hashimites from
the Hejaz in 1925. There can be no doubt, to an impartial
observer, that 'Abdu'llah was deeply implicated in the Ibn
Rifada rebellion. Ibn Rifada was an exile from the Hejaz,
belonging to Wejd, who had been exiled for rebellion against
Ibn Sa'ud five years previously. It is a fact that Ibn Rifada
and three of his leaders dined with the Amir of 'Aqabah before
they entered into the Hejaz. The Sa'udian Arabian Navy (a