King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia was the only Muslim ruler in modern times whose single command forced the superpower, the United States, to kneel before him. He made enemies across the world for the sake of Palestine’s freedom. But just as Faisal rose to become the greatest leader of the Muslim world, he was assassinated—shot by his own nephew, a Saudi prince.

Where did the Saudi royal family get such power from?

To understand this, we must go far back in time—about 1,400 years.

During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the entire Arabian Peninsula was united under Islam. But after the Prophet’s passing, many Arab tribes rebelled against the first Caliph, Abu Bakr (RA), and some even falsely claimed to be prophets themselves. The most notorious among them was Musaylima al-Kadhdhab.

Abu Bakr (RA) sent his best general, Khalid ibn al-Walid, to bring the rebels under control. Khalid swiftly reconquered the region, and the decisive Battle of Yamama crushed Musaylima and his tribe, Banu Hanifa, so thoroughly that they never recovered for a thousand years.

Yet a millennium later, from the same Banu Hanifa emerged Muhammad bin Saud—the founder of the first Saudi state. At that time, the world’s greatest Muslim power was the Ottoman Caliphate, whose rulers generally followed Sufism. In Mecca’s Grand Mosque, four different Imams (Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) would lead separate congregations, refusing to pray behind one another.

A reformist scholar named Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab opposed this system. Expelled from his hometown, he allied with Muhammad bin Saud. Together, the Saud and Wahhabi families established a strong rule in the Najd region. But they were still no match for the Ottomans.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

Fast forward 200 years—World War I. The British Empire sought to break the Ottomans by inciting Arab rebellion. They found their man in Sharif Hussein of Mecca, a descendant of the Prophet ﷺ. Britain promised him that, if victorious, they would not abolish the Caliphate but would restore it to the Arabs.

The Arabs agreed, revolted, and helped the British defeat the Ottomans. But once the war ended, Britain betrayed them—demanding Sharif Hussein hand over Palestine to the Jews. Hussein refused, so Britain withdrew its support.

This vacuum allowed Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, a young and ambitious leader, to rise. He cared nothing for the Caliphate or Palestine—only for becoming king. Britain, seeking a compliant Arab ruler, backed him. With their help, Ibn Saud captured Mecca and Medina, becoming the first King of Saudi Arabia.

He divided the kingdom into Najd (capital: Riyadh, governed by his son Saud) and Hejaz (Mecca and Medina, governed by his other son Faisal). Soon after, vast oil reserves were discovered in Dammam—thanks, according to British accounts, to the tip-off from a local man.

World War II broke out, skyrocketing oil demand. Ibn Saud sold oil globally, making Saudi Arabia’s economy 2,000 times richer. He sided with the Allies against Hitler. Yet when Israel was created in 1948, he did little to oppose it—only 800 Saudi volunteers fought. The only royal who openly defended Palestine was Prince Faisal, who declared at the UN: “We do not recognize Israel.”

Before his death, Ibn Saud wished Faisal would succeed him instead of Saud, knowing Saud was a lavish, irresponsible man with hundreds of children, 24 palaces, and a taste for extravagance. But Ibn Saud made Faisal swear loyalty to Saud.

When Saud became king, he squandered the nation’s wealth and plunged it into debt. Oil prices later fell as new reserves were found worldwide, pushing Saudi Arabia toward bankruptcy. Faisal resigned in protest and left the country, but soon was begged to return.

Faisal agreed only to serve as Prime Minister, cutting royal allowances, seizing luxury palaces for government use, and—most notably—abolishing slavery, paying $2,000 for each freed person. He borrowed funds from the wealthy construction magnate Muhammad bin Laden (father of Osama bin Laden).

Faisal’s reforms and integrity made him the true power behind the throne. Saud, feeling humiliated, plotted against him. A confrontation ensued, and with the support of both the Saud and Wahhabi families (Faisal’s father’s and mother’s clans), Faisal forced Saud to abdicate in 1964.

As king, Faisal introduced girls’ education, universities, and even Saudi Arabia’s first television channel—which enraged conservative clerics. When a prince attacked the TV station and was killed in a shootout, Faisal defended the police officer, alienating parts of his own family.

Internationally, Faisal supported Pakistan in its war against India and openly backed the Palestinians against Israel—sending troops in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Initially, Arab forces made gains, but US military aid allowed Israel to push back.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

In retaliation, Faisal spearheaded the oil embargo against the US and the West, cutting oil supplies and quadrupling prices—forcing America and Europe to reassess their Middle East policies. This bold move made Faisal the most respected Muslim leader of his time.

But in 1975, during a public event, King Faisal was assassinated—shot by his own nephew, reportedly in revenge for the earlier death of the prince killed at the TV station.