RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s senior and prestigious religious scholar, Sheikh Saleh Al-Luhaidan, passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged illness.

His death was announced early on Wednesday by his family on Twitter, who said he had died after suffering from a long illness.

90-years-old, Sheikh Al-Luhaidan was born in the city of Bukayriyah in the Al-Qassim region, and held several positions, including a member of the Council of Senior Scholars since its establishment, a member of the Muslim World League, and the former head of the Supreme Judicial Council.

On Twitter, an Arabic hashtag with his name saw an outpouring of prayers and praise for the cleric and Islamic scholar.

Throughout his lifetime, Al-Luhaidan delivered sermons from Makkah’s Grand Mosque, oversaw publication of an Islamic magazine.

The sheikh was born in 1931 in the landlocked province of Al-Qassim. Funeral prayers for the scholar will take place after afternoon prayers at the Al Rajhi Mosque in Riyadh. — SG