Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh Passes Away at 81

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) confirmed. The Kingdom’s top religious authority had been unwell for some time.

Sheikh Abdulaziz served as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and headed the Council of Senior Scholars, the country’s highest religious body.

Life of Religious Service

Born in 1943, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh became one of the most respected Islamic clerics. Over the years, he played a pivotal role in guiding religious thought across Saudi Arabia. He also holds the record for delivering the most Hajj sermons in history, addressing millions of pilgrims in Makkah and Medina.

Funeral Prayers in Riyadh and Across the Kingdom

SPA reported that the funeral prayer for the late Grand Mufti will be offered at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh after the Asr prayer. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz has instructed that absentee funeral prayers also be performed for Sheikh Abdulaziz at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Masjid-e-Nabwi in Medina, and all mosques across the Kingdom following the Asr prayer.

Legacy of Leadership

Sheikh Abdulaziz’s decades of service as Grand Mufti and as head of the Council of Senior Scholars made him a key figure in Saudi Arabia’s religious and social affairs. His sermons and rulings were followed not only in the Kingdom but throughout the Muslim world.

His death marks the end of an era in Saudi Arabia’s religious leadership.

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