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.

Key Scholar of the Salafi Network: Al-Ouda studied Islamic jurisprudence and in the 1980s he became closely associated with the Sahwa (Awakening) movement, which called for political reform, greater government accountability, and vocal opposition to Western military presence in the Arabian Peninsula. His political activism led to his first period of imprisonment from 1994 to 1999 alongside other clerics critical of government policies. Following 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 Islam Today, a multilingual website he founded that offered 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, boasting 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 has been 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 of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), he led an influential delegation in talks with Arab heads of state regarding the need to unite in opposition to the siege of Gaza in early 2009. He has strongly condemned DA’ISH (ISIS) and publicly called for diplomatic peace and unity between members of the GCC and Qatar during regional rifts.

Arbitrary Arrest and Stalled Legal Proceedings: Al-Ouda was arbitrarily arrested without a warrant in September 2017. The catalyst for his detention ostensibly appears to be nothing more than a tweet expressing a prayer for reconciliation and an end to the diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Following his arrest, the Public Prosecution charged him with 37 distinct offenses, including affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, supporting Arab Spring protests, and incitement against the ruler.

Indefinite Confinement and Global Backlash: His open-ended detention has triggered a heavy international outcry from a wide range of global organisations. The International Union of Muslim Scholars, the European Muslim Forum, and Amnesty International have repeatedly called on the Saudi government to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges and release Al-Ouda alongside his two compatriots, Sheikh Ali Al-Omari and Sheikh Awad Al-Qarni, who face identical conditions of confinement.

He remains in prolonged solitary confinement, his health continues to deteriorate, and he still faces a prosecution request for the death penalty in connection with his peaceful religious activities and independent leadership.

Severe Health Concerns and Ill-treatment: Marking his ninth consecutive year in detention in September 2026, Al-Ouda has been held in punishing conditions that human rights groups describe as amounting to physical and psychological torture. His son, academic and advocate Abdullah Al-Ouda, has publicly raised alarms that his father’s physical well-being is declining at an increasingly rapid pace, stating that the scholar has lost nearly half of his vision and hearing due to institutional neglect.

“My enemies, I thank you! You are who trained me to be patient, to respond to the evil with the good and to overlook.”

9 years so far in second imprisonment

22 million followers across social media.