Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al al-Sheikh, has passed away at the age of 82, the Royal Court announced on Tuesday. The esteemed cleric, who also served as the head of the Council of Senior Scholars, the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, was a revered figure across the Islamic world.
Funeral prayers were scheduled to be held for Sheikh Abdulaziz at Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque on Tuesday. In a mark of profound respect, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered that funeral prayers in absentia also be performed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, and in mosques across the entire kingdom.
The Royal Court, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), stated that with his passing, Saudi Arabia and the broader 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 extended their condolences to the grand mufti’s family, the Saudi nation, and the global Muslim community.
Tributes also poured in from Pakistan, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing profound grief. President Zardari lauded Sheikh Abdulaziz’s religious services and scholarly guidance, assuring they would be perpetually remembered. Prime Minister Sharif described him as a great religious scholar who dedicated his life to religious activities and advancing the cause of Islam.
Prime Minister Sharif further highlighted the Grand Mufti’s efforts and scholarly insight towards the unity of the Muslim community, stating they would be enduring. He affirmed that the people and government of Pakistan shared equally in the sorrow of Saudi Arabia and its leadership. Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also offered his condolences, paying tribute to Sheikh Abdulaziz’s lifelong contributions and noting that his scholarly and jurisprudential legacy would remain a guiding light for the Muslim world.
Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al al-Sheikh held the distinguished honour of delivering the Hajj sermon more times than any other scholar, a testament to his profound influence and revered standing in the Islamic world.
