islam is the state religion of saudi arabia. the connection between islam and saudi arabia (or at least the western hejaz region of the country) is uniquely strong. the kingdom, which sometimes is called the "home of islam", is the location of the cities of mecca and medina, where muhammad, the messenger of the islamic faith, lived and died, and attracts millions of muslim hajj pilgrims annually, and thousands of clerics and students who come from across the muslim world to study. the official title of the king of saudi arabia is "custodian of the two holy mosques"—the two being al-masjid al-haram in mecca and al-masjid al-nabawi in medina—which are considered the holiest in islam.