Riyadh: A senior Saudi cleric who once served for years as head of the kingdom’s Shariah courts died on Wednesday.
His family announced his death on Twitter, saying 90-year-old Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed Al Luhaidan died after battling an illness that was not disclosed.
On Twitter, an Arabic hashtag with his name saw an outpouring of prayers and praise for the cleric and Islamic scholar.
Al Luhaidan was head of Saudi Arabia’s judiciary for over two decades.
Al Luhaidan was also notably a member of the Council of Senior Clerics since its establishment in 1971. The elite body issues religious edicts known as fatwas.
Throughout his lifetime, Al Luhaidan delivered sermons from Mecca’s Grand Mosque, oversaw publication of an Islamic magazine and was a member of the Saudi-based Muslim World League.
The sheikh was born in 1931 in the landlocked province of Qassim.
