RIYADH: A main street in Riyadh is to be renamed in honor of Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh, the former grand mufti of Saudi Arabia who died on Sept. 23.
The directive, issued on Tuesday by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is recognition of Sheikh Abdulaziz’s scholarly status, and the significant contributions he made to Saudi Arabia, Islam and the wider Muslim community, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
It honors a life dedicated to the study and teaching of Islamic jurisprudence, the guidance he provided to people in their understanding of Islam, and the significant contributions he made to Islamic studies and education, the agency added.
Al-Asheikh was appointed grand mufti, the highest-ranking religious scholar in the Kingdom, in June 1999. As part of his role he interpreted Shariah, or Islamic law, and issued fatwas on legal and societal matters.
His death was described as the end of an era for the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia, as under his leadership traditional Islamic scholarship was brought into alignment with modern state needs, and fatwas were shaped to address evolving legal and financial issues while adhering to established Shariah principles.
He also served as chair of the Council of Senior Scholars, president of the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta, and chair of the Muslim World League’s Supreme Council.
