"No Victor But God"

"La Ghalib illa Allah."  (No Victor but God)

That is what is written in plaster cartouches all over the Alhambra.   It neatly sums up the spirit of absolute monotheism that lies at the heart of Islam and especially of Sunni Islam, the Wahhabi strain of Sunni Islam and the ascetic Hanbali law code that lies behind it.

There is a lot of drivel in the media today as uncomprehending reporters try to deal with their surprise at the almost dismissive simplicity of the departure of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia for his "reward."

For the Muslims in Saudi Arabia; he was a man like all men, to be buried quickly, mourned in an appropriate but limited way and placed in an un-marked grave so that his resting place should not become a place of "pilgrimage" that might tempt people from the exclusive devotion that they owe to God.  Visitors will come from across the world to pay their respects to the family, but that is all.  After the required mourning is ended the kingdom will move on, not necessarily in the direction that we in the West might like, but, ON.

Was he a sinner?  Was he a wastrel?  God will judge him.

That is the Sunni Muslim's way.

pl

Comments

[J]

Colonel,

have you been paying attention to the 'consolidation' of power that has been the works as a result of fahd's demise? it has been going on for a while, particularly since the first part of last month when fahd became brain dead.