A leading Saudi sheikh, Salman Al-Ouda is a former hard-line cleric turned advocate of peaceful coexistence. He became hugely influential due to his innovative reach in the Muslim world propagated via IslamToday.net and his persistent efforts at ministering to the needs of the global Muslim community. In September 2017, Al-Ouda was arrested by Saudi authorities along with 20 other Saudi clerics for tweets that were seen as offensive to the State. He is still imprisoned and endures months of solitary confinement.
Key Scholar of Salafi Network: Al-Ouda studied Islamic jurisprudence and principles of Islamic law at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, later teaching at the Qassim branch. A gifted orator, he quickly gained recognition for his ability to connect classical Islamic learning with contemporary issues. In the 1980s, he became associated with the Sahwa movement, which called for political reform, greater accountability, and opposition to Western military presence in the Arabian Peninsula. His activism led to his first imprisonment from 1994 to 1999, alongside other clerics critical of government policies. After his release, al-Ouda’s tone shifted markedly. Moving away from confrontation, he emphasized peaceful coexistence, inter-faith dialogue, and gradual reform. His writings and television appearances reached millions, particularly through IslamToday.net, a multilingual website he founded, offering Islamic educational resources in Arabic, English, French, and Chinese. By the 2010s, he had become one of the most followed Muslim scholars on social media, with over 22 million followers on Twitter alone.
Ambassador of Non-violence: In an effort to distance himself from alleged connections to perpetrators of terrorism, Al-Ouda is outspoken about the importance of inculcating love and mercy as opposed to violence (except in valid cases of self-defence) in the daily lives of Muslims. As a prominent member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, he led the delegation in talks with Arab heads of state regarding the need for them to unite in opposition to Israel’s siege of Gaza in early 2009. He strongly condemned DA’ISH and also called for peace and unity between members of the GCC and Qatar.
Arrested on Charges Against the State: Al-Ouda was arrested in September 2017 and charged for what ostensibly seems to be nothing more than tweets urging Saudi Arabia and Qatar to end a diplomatic rift. He had earlier voiced concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, but perhaps his true crime has been not to publicly endorse and support the recent changes happening in the Kingdom. Al-Ouda has been held in punishing conditions, often in solitary confinement and detained incommunicado.
Unjust Arrest: With the public prosecutor calling for the maximum penalty to be implemented, there have been serious fears that Al-Ouda could be executed at any time. There has been outcry from a whole range of organisations about what is seen as a grossly unjust imprisonment, trial and sentence. The International Union of Muslim Scholars, the European Muslim Forum and Amnesty International have all called on the Saudi government to release Al-Ouda and his two compatriots, Sheikh Ali Al-Omari and Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni, who are experiencing similar conditions of confinement.
Health Concerns: Al-Ouda’s son, Abdullah Al-Ouda, stated that his father had “lost almost half of his ability to hear and see” in prison. He said that due to years of abuse and isolation, his father’s physical and mental condition has been declining at an increasingly greater pace.
