Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Friday that Sheikh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah Al-Asheikh was not happy that Sheikh Ahmad Qasim Al-Ghamdi had sent him his research on the controversial and hotly debated issue of gender mixing in the Kingdom and refused to read it.
The grand mufti asked Al-Ghamdi to fear God and not to make statements about issues that are not of his concern, the newspaper reported.
Al-Ghamdi told Al-Madinah that he had sent his research to the grand mufti to read and talked to him over telephone.
“The grand mufti was very friendly. He gave me his personal advice and told me that if I was convinced, it was something between me and God,” he said.
Al-Ghamdi has reportedly stated that it is not against Islam for men and women to mix. He also reportedly claimed recently that congregational prayer was not an Islamic duty, a statement that has angered Al-Asheikh further.
Referring to the claims in a Friday sermon in Riyadh, he warned that praying with others whenever possible was extremely important.
“Whoever makes such a call (against congregational prayer) will actually be leading people to hell,” he said, citing Qur’anic verses and Hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
He underlined the role played by the mosques throughout the history of Islam and said they preserved the unity of Muslims and maintained Islamic tenets.
However, Al-Ghamdi told Arab News that he had reached his conclusions after deep and considered research.
According to him, it is only obligatory to perform the Friday prayer collectively. For the other five daily prayers, each Muslim can do them individually at home.
“I wanted to shed light on the Shariah attitude toward congregational prayer. This will cultivate people and make them aware of their religion,” he said.
“Awareness of the Shariah rule about congregational prayer will prevent frictions between parents and sons.
“In Muslims countries, the parents make it a point to see that their sons perform their prayers in mosques when they reach the age of manhood. When parents become aware of the Shariah principle that congregational prayers are not obligatory, they will not be so harsh on their sons.”
Al-Ghamdi denied reports that he had been fired because of his opinions regarding congregational prayer and gender mixing.
He also refuted claims that there were divisions within the commission because of his views, adding that his opinions did not mean he disrespected existing regulations.
Meanwhile, Al-Madinah newspaper reported that a specialized Shariah committee would consider Al-Ghamdi’s research on gender mixing.
It said the committee will issue its ruling on the study next week, particularly as it had received many questions and feedback about his views.
However, Al-Ghamdi told Arab News that no committee had contacted him about his research.
