India’s PM Modi bridges ties with Saudi ulema, mourns death of Grand Mufti
Riyadh — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on the passing of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, in a message that has drawn wide international attention.
“Deepest condolences on the sad demise of the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Eminence Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al AlSheikh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kingdom and its people in this moment of grief,” Modi wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).
The message resonated strongly on social media, amassing more than 2.8 million views and over 33,000 likes within hours of publication, reflecting the significance of the Grand Mufti’s role in the Muslim world and the importance of Indo-Saudi relations.
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, who passed away at the age of 84, was born in 1940 in Mecca. He hailed from the prestigious Al-Sheikh family, descendants of the 18th-century religious scholar Mohammed bin Abdulwahhab, the founder of the revivalist movement in Arabia.
Mohammed bin Abdulwahhab’s alliance with Imam Mohammed bin Saud laid the foundations of the first Saudi state, shaping the religious and political identity of the Kingdom. As a great-grandson of this lineage, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh embodied both religious authority and historical continuity.
His Scholarly Journey
Blind from childhood, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh memorized the Qur’an at an early age and immersed himself in Islamic sciences. He studied under several of the Kingdom’s most respected scholars, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh, who was the first Grand Mufti of modern Saudi Arabia.
Over the decades, Sheikh Abdulaziz himself became a towering figure in Islamic scholarship, guiding thousands of students in Qur’anic exegesis, jurisprudence, and Islamic theology. Among his most prominent students are current members of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, who continue to carry forward his intellectual and religious influence.
Sheikh Abdulaziz was appointed as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia in 1999, succeeding the late Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Baz. In this capacity, he presided over the Council of Senior Scholars and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, the Kingdom’s highest religious bodies.
As Grand Mufti, he oversaw religious edicts on issues ranging from family law and worship to questions of modern technology and finance. His guidance was sought not only in Saudi Arabia but also across the broader Muslim world, where his influence shaped theological discussions and religious rulings.
India–Saudi Religious Diplomacy
Prime Minister Modi’s message also reflects New Delhi’s wider engagement with Saudi Arabia beyond energy and trade. In recent years, Modi has made efforts to build bridges between Indian Muslim communities and the religious establishment in Riyadh.
During his state visits to the Kingdom, Modi held meetings that sought to foster dialogue between Indian ulema (scholars) and their Saudi counterparts. These efforts were aimed at encouraging cultural and spiritual understanding, and at reinforcing the shared values between the world’s largest democracy and the custodian of Islam’s two holiest mosques.
Analysts note that Modi’s public expression of grief for the Grand Mufti underscores his awareness of Saudi Arabia’s deep religious influence, particularly among South Asia’s vast Muslim population.
A Loss for the Muslim World
Tributes have poured in from across the Islamic world, with leaders and scholars highlighting his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence, his steadfast defense of religious teachings, and his decades-long service to the Kingdom.
For India, Modi’s widely noted message signals the importance of maintaining strong cultural and religious ties with Saudi Arabia, at a time when the two countries are strengthening their strategic, economic, and people-to-people relations.
