The story of the Ashrafs and Ibn Saud

Author's name: Ali Al-Wardi

The rise of the House of Saud (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and the collapse of the Ashraf state in the Hejaz (the Kingdom of Hejaz) were accompanied by major changes that impacted the Islamic world in general and the Arab region in particular. The effects of these profound changes remain evident to this day, despite the passage of time and the many upheavals that have befallen this region. Given the historical and social importance of this book, and the interest of Arab Gulf readers in Al-Wardi's works, particularly this volume, Dar Al-Baraq decided to publish it independently. This way, readers interested in the affairs of this geographical region—the Arabian Peninsula—can purchase it without having to purchase the entire collection of Social Glimpses from the History of Modern Iraq. Returning to the text of this volume, we find that it includes the seventh book in "Social Glimpses from the History of Modern Iraq," which is titled "The Story of the Ashrafs and Ibn Saud," but it could actually serve as an appendix to all the previous and subsequent volumes of the book. This appendix examines events that took place in the Hijaz, Najd, and Syria, all of which are closely related to Iraqi society and its events, from the Safavid-Ottoman conflict to the July 14 Revolution. It may be true to say that these events shed considerable light on events in Iraq and help to understand them. They may also help the reader understand some of the mysteries of human nature, its complexities, and its problems in general. In general, this appendix includes extensive details about the conflict between Hussein bin Ali and Abdulaziz bin Saud, a conflict that can be considered an example of the struggle for survival among humans, where each side believes that it alone is right and that falsehood is with its opponent. The chapter on events in Syria is the largest chapter in this appendix, and it examines the period during which Faisal bin Hussein assumed power in Syria, a period that extended for approximately two years, between October 1918 and July 1920. It was a turbulent period full of lessons, and it is worthy of every Arab reader to familiarize themselves with its events and learn from them. The first and second chapters of this appendix attempt to study an aspect of the history of the Ashraf of Mecca.