Both the Kingdom and the Muslim world have lost a distinguished scholar. Sheikh Abdulaziz dedicated his life to science, Islam, and the welfare of Muslims. King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to his family and the global Muslim community.

Sheikh Abdulaziz also served as the President of the Council of Senior Scholars, promoting Islamic values and community harmony.

Funeral prayers will be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh. King Salman has directed absentee prayers in Mecca, Madinah, and across the Kingdom’s mosques following afternoon (Asr) prayers.

His legacy will inspire future generations, highlighting his profound impact on many lives.

Salah Khashoggi, son of Jamal Khashoggi, tweeted on Thursday about the absentia funeral prayers to be held, after Saudi public prosecution called for death penalty for five Saudis involved in his murder.

In an interview to CNN, the Khashoggi sons expressed their desire to bury their father’s body in Baqi cemetery in Madinah where majority of their deceased family members are buried, however his body could not be found.

Jamal Khashoggi went missing from Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018. Official investigations were started both by Turkish and Saudi authorities, while a full-blown media campaign was directed towards maligning Saudi Arabia.

However, Saudi Arabia’s swift and prompt investigations, revealed on Thursday, have done justice to the bereaved Khashoggi family.