Riyadh – Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh, the long-serving Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and a towering figure in the Islamic world, has passed away, the Saudi royal court confirmed on Tuesday. Believed to be in his early to mid-80s, Sheikh Abdulaziz’s death brings to a close an influential chapter in Saudi Arabia’s religious history.
Appointed in 1999, Sheikh Abdulaziz held the kingdom’s highest religious post for more than two decades. He led the Council of Senior Scholars and was responsible for issuing fatwas that shaped societal norms and Islamic discourse within Saudi Arabia and beyond. The royal court described his passing as “a loss for the Kingdom and the wider Islamic world,” reflecting the deep reverence many held for his scholarship and commitment to faith.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman led the funeral prayers in Riyadh, underscoring the grand mufti’s esteemed status. A successor has yet to be named.
A Firm Voice in Conservative Islam
Sheikh Abdulaziz was known globally for his unflinching conservative views. Through his influential radio program, he delivered religious rulings that drew wide attention. Among his most notable declarations: opposing gender mixing, condemning chess as “Satan’s work,” and criticizing Twitter as a platform for spreading “evil.”
His influence extended into international politics. He harshly criticized militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, describing their actions as contrary to Islamic teachings. These stances stirred both support and controversy across the Muslim world.
From Central Authority to Symbolic Figure
Sheikh Abdulaziz descended from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the foundational thinker behind Saudi Arabia’s religious doctrine. His role as grand mufti symbolized the long-standing alliance between the royal family and the religious elite. But over the years, particularly under Crown Prince Mohammed’s modernizing Vision 2030, his influence diminished.
Reforms led by the crown prince — such as lifting the ban on women driving, curbing the powers of the religious police, and allowing greater gender mixing in public — were supported by the grand mufti’s religious legitimacy. But this alignment also led to perceptions that his role had shifted from independent authority to that of a state-aligned figure.
While his titles remained, the sweeping changes across Saudi Arabia saw the clerical establishment’s authority reduced. Observers note that his fatwas increasingly echoed state policy, reflecting more loyalty to governance than theological innovation.
End of an Era, Start of a New Question
For decades, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh embodied the conservative heart of Saudi Arabia’s religious fabric. His death marks the end of a leadership era where religion played a central — and often dominant — role in everyday Saudi life.
Today, Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming. Once-unchallenged religious authorities now serve more as institutional figureheads than policymakers. As the kingdom reimagines its identity on the world stage, the question looms: who will succeed him — and will that person represent tradition, reform, or a delicate balance of both?