Quranic Verse on Battle of Badr Recited as Saudi Delegation Pays Respects to Khamenei
A Saudi Arabian delegation paying its final respects to former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has drawn significant attention, not merely for Riyadh’s presence, but because Iran recited a Quranic verse referencing the Battle of Badr as the Saudi entourage stood before Khamenei’s coffin. The moment subsequently went viral on social media.
The Saudi delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khuraiji, paid their respects at Khamenei’s coffin on Friday. Al-Khuraiji’s presence was considered unexpected, particularly as Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had urged Iran in March to ‘recalculate’ its strategy following repeated retaliatory attacks on US bases in the kingdom. Prince Faisal stated at the time that tolerance for attacks on Gulf states was limited.
The Saudi delegation’s attendance also became a talking point due to the Quranic verse selected by Iranian officials. As the Saudi group stood at the site of the tribute, an Iranian reciter chanted verse 13 of Surah Ali ’Imran, which refers to two forces meeting in the seventh-century Battle of Badr.
The translation of the verse reads: ‘Indeed there was a sign for you in the two hosts that met, one host fighting in the way of Allah and the other disbelieving, whom they saw with their own eyes as twice their number. And Allah strengthens with His help whom He wills. Surely in that there is a lesson for those who have eyes.’
The selection of this verse quickly became a topic of discussion on social media. Videos capturing the moment went viral across several platforms, accompanied by narratives suggesting Iran was sending a deliberate message to Saudi Arabia.
Khamenei was killed at the age of 86 in a US-Israeli airstrike on his residential compound on 28 February. His funeral procession has commenced and is scheduled to last six days. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated in an interview with state television channel IRIB TV that delegations from 110 countries would attend Khamenei’s funeral. The United States and several Western nations did not attend the proceedings. Meanwhile, a number of countries sent heads of state or delegations, including Pakistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, India, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. The Saudi delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khuraiji, while Indonesia was represented by its Ambassador to Iran, Rolliansyah Soemirat.