Saudi Arabia is mourning the death of its Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz, who passed away on Tuesday morning at the age of 82, according to an official statement from the Royal Court.
Born in Mecca in November 1943, Sheikh Abdulaziz rose to become one of the Kingdom’s most revered religious scholars and a central voice in shaping Islamic thought and jurisprudence across the Muslim world.
Over the course of his distinguished career, he served as head of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, cementing his reputation as a global authority on Islamic scholarship.
He was the third cleric to hold the position of Grand Mufti, following in the footsteps of Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Shaikh and Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz.
In its tribute, the Royal Court announced that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had extended heartfelt condolences to the Sheikh’s family, the Saudi people, and Muslims worldwide.
“With his passing, the Kingdom and the Islamic world have lost a distinguished scholar who made immense contributions to the service of knowledge, Islam, and Muslims,” the statement read.
Funeral prayers are scheduled to take place at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh following the Asr prayer on Tuesday.
King Salman has also ordered funeral prayers to be held simultaneously at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and in mosques across the Kingdom.
The Grand Mufti — Saudi Arabia’s most senior religious authority — was appointed by royal decree and also chaired the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas, a role that gave him significant influence in guiding religious practice and jurisprudence within and beyond the Kingdom.
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