By Crown Prince Mohammed
Copyright indiatimes
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, believed to be in his early to mid-80s, passed away on Tuesday, the Royal Court announced. Sheikh Abdulaziz, who also headed the Council of Senior Scholars, the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, was one of the Kingdom’s most prominent religious leaders.The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has also directed that funeral prayers in absentia be performed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and all mosques across the Kingdom. The Royal Court said the Kingdom and the wider Islamic world “have lost a distinguished scholar who made significant contributions to the service of Islam and Muslims.” King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have extended condolences to the late scholar’s family, the Saudi people, and Muslims around the world.Live EventsIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the death of the Grand Mufti on X on Wednesday. “Deepest condolences on the sad demise of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Eminence Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al AlSheikh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kingdom and its people in this moment of grief,” Modi said.— narendramodi (@narendramodi) Who was Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh? Sheikh Abdulaziz was appointed Grand Mufti in 1999, becoming the kingdom’s top religious authority and serving for more than two decades. He led the Council of Senior Scholars, a government body that issued religious edicts, which once held significant sway in Saudi Arabia and across Muslim communities worldwide. Born in the 1940s, Abdulaziz lost his eyesight at the age of 14. He memorized the Quran early in life and went on to work as a teacher, academic and preacher before being elevated to the position of Grand Mufti. Throughout his tenure, he represented the ultraconservative religious tradition often linked to Wahhabism, the ideology rooted in the teachings of 18th-century scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, as per New York Times. His role spanned a transformative period in Saudi Arabia, from the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, when 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, to sweeping social changes initiated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in recent years. Abdulaziz was known for issuing strict religious rulings. He once described chess as the “work of Satan” and denounced Twitter, now X, as a source of “evil and harm.” In 2004, he criticized the mixing of unveiled women with men at an economic forum in Jeddah, calling it a cause of “evil and catastrophe.” At the same time, he supported certain reforms, including banning forced marriages in 2005 and backing the decision to allow women to drive in 2018. He also ran a popular call-in radio show where he issued religious edicts on the spot, keeping him directly connected with ordinary Saudis.(With inputs from NYT)Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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