Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Al Sheikh passed away on Tuesday, state-run media reported.

Sheikh Abdulaziz passed away on Tuesday morning, the Royal Court said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

“With his death, the Kingdom and the Muslim world have lost a distinguished scholar who made significant contributions in the service of science, Islam and Muslims,” the Royal Court said in the statement.

King Salman and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to the late Sheikh’s family, the Saudi people and the Muslim world, the statement added.

Funeral prayers for Sheikh Abdulaziz, who was also the President of the Council of Senior Scholars, will be held after Asr prayers at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

King Salman has directed that absentee funeral prayers will take place in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and across the Kingdom’s mosques following Asr prayers.