MAKKAH/BURAIDAH, 12 January — More than 500,000 people took part in the funeral of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saleh Al-Othaimeen, a prominent Islamic scholar, in Makkah yesterday. About 1,650 security officers had been deployed at the Grand Mosque and around Al-Adel Graveyard in Makkah to oversee the large crowd.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday sent messages of condolences to the late scholar's close relatives, expressing their deep sorrow on his death.
The funeral prayer at the Grand Mosque was attended by Interior Minister Prince Naif, Prince Mamdooh, director of the Strategic Studies Center, Qassim Governor Prince Faisal ibn Bandar, other princes, a large number of Muslim scholars and Sheikh Othaimeen's students together with high-ranking officials.
More than 500 members of the late scholar's family in Riyadh and Qasim as well as a large number of people from different parts of the Kingdom had arrived to take part in the funeral. The road leading from the Haram Mosque to Al-Adel Graveyard was crowded with mourners. Funeral prayers (Salat Al-Ghaib) for Sheikh Othaimeen will also be held at the Grand Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque and all other mosques in the Kingdom today after Juma prayer.
Meanwhile, Saudis and Islamic scholars worldwide have described the death of Othaimeen as a great loss to the Muslim world. “It's a big loss for the Ummah,” Prince Faisal ibn Bandar said after attending the funeral. “I consider Sheikh Othaimeen as a father and a teacher,” he added.
Qassim Airport yesterday witnessed an usual rush of passengers as a large number of people wanted to attend the late scholar's funeral in Makkah. Saudi Arabian Airlines operated additional flights to transport the mourners. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the grand mufti said that he shared the sorrow of the Sheikh Othaimeen's death with all his Muslim brothers.
In Unaizah, the second largest city in Qassim, where the Sheikh used to deliver his lectures, everyone was sad after hearing the shocking news on Wednesday. Othaimeen, 74, died at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah after prolonged illness.
A member of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars and a professor at Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University's branch in Qassim, Othaimeen was a highly influential scholar whose Islamic rulings are followed by a large number of Muslims worldwide. He had devoted his life for the spread of Islam. Othaimeen has authored more than 40 books on various Islamic issues. There are video and audio cassettes of his fatwas and lectures.
Ibrahim Al-Othaimeen, a son of the late scholar, said he had ordered that the Internet must be utilized to disseminate the message of Islam throughout the world. “We intend to launch a website in his name very shortly,” he said, adding that the sheikh had given them some guidelines on the website.
