Top Saudi Arabia cleric dies after battling illness

Riyadh: One of Saudi Arabia’s most senior clerics passed away after battling an undisclosed illness, his family announced on Twitter.

Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed al-Luhain died at the age of 90 on Wednesday.

Twitter users shared an outpouring of praise and grief using a hashtag bearing his name in Arabic.

Al-Luhaidan was the head of the Kingdom’s judiciary for more than two decades until 2009.

He was also a notable member of the Council of Senior Clerics since its inception in 1971. The council is the Kingdom’s highest religious body.

At other times during his life, the cleric delivered sermons from Mecca’s Grand Mosque, oversaw publication of an Islamic magazine, and was a member of the Saudi-based Muslim World League.

Al-Luhaidan was born in 1931 in the landlocked province of Qassim, in between Medina and Riyadh.

His funeral is due to take place on Wednesday in line with Islamic tradition.