-Friday World | September 21, 2026
Al-Assad said, “When our ancestors were covering the Kaaba with silk cloth decorated with pure gold, your ancestors in Najd were blocking the path of the pilgrims and looting them. And today you accuse the children of Ansar of targeting the Kaaba, while your own ancestors accepted Islam out of fear of the swords of Ansar.”
This is not a single sentence, it is an account of centuries.
The History of Kaaba's Service and Yemen's Connection
History is witness that the tradition of draping the Kaaba with the Kiswah started from Yemen. It is said that Tubba Abu Karab As'ad al-Kamil, the King of Himyar, was the first person to cover the Kaaba with woven Yemeni cloth. The people of Yemen, who were called Ansar, were the ones who welcomed the Prophet of Islam in Medina and were the first helpers of Islam. It was through their hands that the protection and beautification of the Kaaba began. The verses written with gold thread on pure silk were not just cloth, it was a sheet of faith and love.
On the other hand, what is the history of Najd? Islamic history books tell us that the region of Najd has always been notorious for looting and attacks on caravans. When Hajj caravans would depart from Yemen, Sham, and Egypt, they were looted in the deserts of Najd. Pilgrims who carried their lifetime earnings were left disarmed. This is the difference between two lineages - one that decorates the Kaaba, and the other that makes the path to the Kaaba unsafe.
Today's Allegation and Yesterday's Truth
Today, the Saudi regime and its media have only one tune: that Ansarullah (Houthis) are targeting the Kaaba. Every missile attack is linked to Mecca to provoke the emotions of the Ummah. While the world knows the reality. Ansarullah's targets have always been Saudi military bases, oil infrastructure, and those palaces from where orders are given to rain bombs on innocent children of Yemen. Ansarullah has never turned towards Haramain Sharifain, because in their hearts there is the same respect that their Ansari ancestors had.
The second truth that Hizam al-Assad has highlighted in his statement is even more piercing. He said that Bin Salman's ancestors accepted Islam out of fear of the sword. It is a historical fact that even after the Conquest of Mecca, many tribes of Najd stood against Islam and when they saw the power of the Islamic army, especially the swords of the brave warriors of Aus and Khazraj (Ansar), they recited the Kalma out of compulsion. Their Islam was not from the heart, but out of fear. And today, the heirs of that fearful lineage sit as the contractors of Islam.
Who are the Children of Ansar?
Today, the people of Yemen are in fact the children of Ansar. When Saudi Arabia imposed war on Yemen, the whole world saw how these hungry and thirsty but honorable people confronted an army many times larger than themselves. They endured bombings on their schools, hospitals, and markets, but did not bow down. This is the same spirit that the Ansar of Medina had shown - they lost everything, but did not leave the Guest of the Messenger alone.
Bin Salman today wants to show himself as the leader of the Islamic world. By bringing NEOM City, cinema halls, and Western culture, he wants to modernize Islam. But the key to the Kaaba is not obtained by living in golden palaces. The service of Kaaba must be in the blood. The nation which used to loot pilgrims till yesterday has today made Hajj a business and a means of earning money through visas. The cost of Hajj has been made so expensive that poor Muslims are left yearning.
Hizam al-Assad's message is not just for Bin Salman, but a mirror for the entire Ummah. He is asking, whom are you calling the enemy of the Kaaba? We are those whose forefathers decorated the Kaaba with gold. Who are you? What is your history? Have you forgotten that you are the descendants of the looting caravans of Najd?
This war is no longer about missiles, it has become about origin and lineage. On one side is the progeny of Ansar, who even today, while remaining hungry, raises its voice for Palestine, and on the other side is the regime that is shaking hands with Israel and organizing concerts in the shadow of the Kaaba. The Ummah has to decide whether it has to stand with those who decorated the Kaaba with gold or with the lineage of those who looted the pilgrims.
Sajjadali Nayani ✍️
Friday World | September 21, 2026
