Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Asheikh, Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti and the kingdom’s highest religious authority for over two decades, died on Tuesday.
His passing marks the symbolic end of an ultraconservative religious era as the nation continues its rapid social transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Appointed in 1999 as head of the Council of Senior Scholars—the official body responsible for issuing religious edicts—Sheikh Abdulaziz was a leading figure in the Wahhabi tradition, the austere interpretation of Islam that has long shaped Saudi identity. While the royal court confirmed his death in a brief statement, it did not disclose his age or cause of death. He was widely believed to be in his early to mid-80s. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman led funeral prayers in Riyadh on Tuesday. A successor has not yet been named.
Once wielding considerable influence both domestically and across the Muslim world, the Council of Senior Scholars has seen its authority steadily erode over the past decade as the crown prince has centralized power and pursued sweeping social reforms. These include lifting the ban on women driving, relaxing gender segregation rules, curbing the powers of the religious police, and opening the country to international tourism.
Sheikh Abdulaziz’s tenure spanned pivotal moments in Saudi history, including the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals—prompting a period of national introspection and gradual religious recalibration.
“He was the last of the great Wahhabis,” said Mansour al-Nogaidan, a former hardline cleric turned reformist writer now based in the United Arab Emirates. “For 25 years as grand mufti, he navigated immense pressure to reconcile traditional teachings with the kingdom’s evolving realities.”
Known for his strict interpretations, Sheikh Abdulaziz drew international attention in 2004 when he condemned the mingling of unveiled women and men at a Jeddah economic forum, calling it a source of “evil and catastrophe.” He once declared chess “the work of Satan” and labeled Twitter a conduit of “evil and harm.” Yet he also issued more progressive rulings, such as banning forced marriages in 2005 and endorsing women’s right to drive in 2018—a move widely seen as aligning with state policy.
Born in the 1940s, Sheikh Abdulaziz lost his sight at age 14 but memorized the Quran early in life. He later served as a teacher, academic, and preacher, and hosted a popular radio call-in show where he delivered on-the-spot fatwas (religious rulings).
Though the Council of Senior Scholars functioned as an advisory body—with ultimate power resting with the royal family—Saudi rulers historically granted conservative clerics significant sway over education, public morality, and religious life. That deference has largely vanished under Prince Mohammed, who has simultaneously advanced social liberalization and cracked down on dissent, including from religious conservatives who opposed the pace of change.
Tributes poured in on social media following the mufti’s death. Mohammed Alazzam, a retired Saudi professor of heritage and history, recalled knowing him as a student. “Throughout his life, he was distinguished by his faith, moral character, virtue, righteousness, and dedication to knowledge,” Alazzam wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Sheikh Abdulaziz’s death closes a chapter in Saudi Arabia’s history—one defined by rigid orthodoxy—while underscoring the kingdom’s dramatic pivot toward a more secular, state-directed vision of modernity.