Saudi Arabia Mourns As Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh Passes Away

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh, has passed away, the Royal Court confirmed. Although the announcement did not reveal his age or the cause of death, several Saudi media outlets reported that he was 82. His death on Tuesday brings to an end more than two decades of service as the Kingdom’s highest religious authority.

In a statement, the Royal Court described his passing as a profound loss, noting that “Saudi Arabia and the Islamic world have lost a distinguished scholar who made immense contributions to the service of Islam and Muslims.” Funeral prayers were performed after Asr at Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, with senior officials, scholars, and citizens in attendance, followed by his burial in accordance with Saudi custom. By directive of King Salman, funeral prayers in absentia were also observed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and across mosques nationwide. Among the dignitaries present were Prince Salman bin Sultan, Emir of Madinah, and Prince Saud bin Mishaal, Deputy Emir of Makkah.

Sheikh Al-Sheikh was appointed Grand Mufti in June 1999 by King Fahd, succeeding Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Baz. As head of the Council of Senior Scholars and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, he oversaw the issuing of religious rulings that shaped public life in Saudi Arabia. A member of the prominent Al ash-Sheikh family, he lost his sight at 17 but pursued Islamic studies with determination, graduating in Shariah from Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University in 1965.

He spent decades teaching, serving on academic councils, and leading prayers at major mosques in Riyadh. His role as preacher of the Namirah Mosque in Arafat, where he delivered the Hajj sermon for 33 consecutive years, made him one of the most recognisable religious voices to millions of pilgrims. As Grand Mufti, he issued rulings on a range of legal and social matters, including banning forced marriages in 2005 and supporting the landmark decision to allow women to drive in 2018.

Tributes have poured in from across the Muslim world. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences, while the Supreme Fatwa Council of Syria praised his legacy of scholarship and Dawah. Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Dr Shawky Allam, also extended prayers for the deceased.

Despite losing his sight as a teenager, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh built a reputation for wisdom, calm authority, and deep knowledge that earned him respect within Saudi Arabia and beyond. His sermons, rulings, and writings leave behind a legacy that will continue to influence generations of Muslims worldwide.