Rayan M.
ALFAISAL
There is a road upon which we must all tread with trepidation, summoned by the calls of hope to the heavens of light.
Kings walk along that road too, men alone, beckoned by the advocate of deeds. They must cross a second path as well, the perilous path of history.
Faisal walked the path of history from childhood. He treaded its arduous routes eliminating the obsacles of destiny.
Contemplative as a boy, dignified as a youth, and wise as a man. He became a witness to his age.
He acknowledged the summon of history, and honored its demanding call a lifetime, that when he was beckoned to head the final call, it was time itself that gave witness to him, as it released him, from the constraints of mortality to the splendour of eternity.
"On a decisive day in the history of the Arabian Peninsula, a chapter of the epic story of unification was to be written. In April 1906, Abdel-Aziz was blessed with two good omens; a military victory in the battle of 'Rawdat Mahna', and the birth of his third son. This victory marked the recapture of Najd by Abdel-Aziz Al Saud, and paved the way to future unification.
Abdel-Aziz named his son Faisal, the 'sword'. Sharp and incisive, that which seperates Truth from Falsehood. He was named after his great grandfather Faisal Ibn Turki Ibn Abdullah, who ruled for over twenty six years, and was known for his piety and unparalleled political insight, qualities acknowledged by both friends and foes. That was Imam Faisal Ibn Turki, son of the founder of the second Saudi nation, and this was Faisal Ibn Abdel-Aziz, the son of the founder of the third Saudi nation.
Faisal lost his mother, Tarafah, daughter of Abdullah Ibn Abdul Latif Al Sheikh - the most prominent scholar of Najd - when he was no more than five months old. He was raised in his grandfather's home, an abode of piety and knowledge; he committed the Holy Quran to memory before the age of ten. The loss of his mother, never forgotten, was reflected in the eyes of a child who longed for his mother and searched for her in vain. This was to be transformed into a solemn gaze which spoke of dignity and wisdom and that of a man who was to forge a unique destiny and transform a nation through force of character and power of conviction.
Faisal grew up between two worlds, the public life of battles and princely duties, and the private life of knowledge and contemplation. His character combined those of both his ancestors, Mohammad Ibn Saud, and Mohammad Ibn Abdul-Wahab. He held the sword in one hand, and the pen in the other. His days were those of chivalry, trials, and hardshop and his nights were of learning, contemplation and poetry, for Faisal was an accomplished poet."
ALFAISAL
There is a road upon which we must all tread with trepidation, summoned by the calls of hope to the heavens of light.
Kings walk along that road too, men alone, beckoned by the advocate of deeds. They must cross a second path as well, the perilous path of history.
Faisal walked the path of history from childhood. He treaded its arduous routes eliminating the obsacles of destiny.
Contemplative as a boy, dignified as a youth, and wise as a man. He became a witness to his age.
He acknowledged the summon of history, and honored its demanding call a lifetime, that when he was beckoned to head the final call, it was time itself that gave witness to him, as it released him, from the constraints of mortality to the splendour of eternity.
"On a decisive day in the history of the Arabian Peninsula, a chapter of the epic story of unification was to be written. In April 1906, Abdel-Aziz was blessed with two good omens; a military victory in the battle of 'Rawdat Mahna', and the birth of his third son. This victory marked the recapture of Najd by Abdel-Aziz Al Saud, and paved the way to future unification.
Abdel-Aziz named his son Faisal, the 'sword'. Sharp and incisive, that which seperates Truth from Falsehood. He was named after his great grandfather Faisal Ibn Turki Ibn Abdullah, who ruled for over twenty six years, and was known for his piety and unparalleled political insight, qualities acknowledged by both friends and foes. That was Imam Faisal Ibn Turki, son of the founder of the second Saudi nation, and this was Faisal Ibn Abdel-Aziz, the son of the founder of the third Saudi nation.
Faisal lost his mother, Tarafah, daughter of Abdullah Ibn Abdul Latif Al Sheikh - the most prominent scholar of Najd - when he was no more than five months old. He was raised in his grandfather's home, an abode of piety and knowledge; he committed the Holy Quran to memory before the age of ten. The loss of his mother, never forgotten, was reflected in the eyes of a child who longed for his mother and searched for her in vain. This was to be transformed into a solemn gaze which spoke of dignity and wisdom and that of a man who was to forge a unique destiny and transform a nation through force of character and power of conviction.
Faisal grew up between two worlds, the public life of battles and princely duties, and the private life of knowledge and contemplation. His character combined those of both his ancestors, Mohammad Ibn Saud, and Mohammad Ibn Abdul-Wahab. He held the sword in one hand, and the pen in the other. His days were those of chivalry, trials, and hardshop and his nights were of learning, contemplation and poetry, for Faisal was an accomplished poet."