Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh (born in 1959, Riyadh) is a Saudi cleric who served as the minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...

between 1996 and 2014, and again since 2015. He is a member of the

Al ash-Sheikh The Al ash-Sheikh ( ar, آل الشيخ, '),Using the term ''the Al ash-Sheikh family'' is a pleonasm as the word ''Al'' already means ''family''. See Etymology. It would, in theory, be correct to use the term ''Family of the Sheikh'', but, unli ...

, the influential Saudi religious family.

Background and career

Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh is a member of a noted family of Saudi religious scholars, the

. The Sheikh is well known for his studies of the fatwas of his grandfather, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim. He is a graduate from

Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (), commonly known as Al-Imam University, is a public university in Baladiyah al-Shemal in northern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1953. represented by the College of Sharia Sciences ...

in Riyadh, from the Faculty of Fundamentals of Islamic Religion and wrote several books on various topics of Islamic Sciences. He has been minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance since 2000. His term as minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance ended on 8 December 2014 when Suleiman bin Abdullah Aba Al Khail replaced him in the post, but only for a short time. He was re-appointed in February 2015. In July 2016, he met with the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia, Adil Osmanovic, to discuss possible cooperation in educational reforms and investments in culture, economic development, and infrastructure. During the same month, the Sheikh met with Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Sardar Mohammed Yousaf to strengthen the ties between Saudi Arabia and

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. In July 2017, Ash-Sheik called upon

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...

to change the name of the main mosque in Doha, the mosque Imam Abdul Wahaab, claiming that the Sheikh

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, حمد بن خليفة الثاني; born 1 January 1952) is a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 ...

, then the Emir of Qatar, had wrongly claimed himself as a descendant of Imam Abdul Wahaab. In January 2018, Ash-Sheikh called for the defense of a Muslim

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, and publicly stated his support for the Palestinian cause.

Religious work

He is upon the

Hanbali The Hanbali school ( ar, ٱلْمَذْهَب ٱلْحَنۢبَلِي, al-maḏhab al-ḥanbalī) is one of the four major traditional Sunni schools ('' madhahib'') of Islamic jurisprudence. It is named after the Arab scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal ...

school of thought in Islam, and wrote extensively on Islamic faith and practice. In his essay ''This is Islam'', he explains in detail Islam's role in daily life, particularly in the realms of

Aqidah ''Aqidah'' ( (), plural ''ʿaqāʾid'', also rendered ''ʿaqīda'', ''aqeeda'', etc.) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that literally means " creed". It is also called Islamic creed and Islamic theology. ''Aqidah'' go beyond concise state ...

(referring to matters which are believed wholeheartedly and with conviction), worship, Sharia (Islamic Law), system of government, morals, wealth and economy activity, international relations, civilization, disagreement and dialogue, and moderation. In ''Islamic Principles for the Muslim's Attitude During Fitan (Trials, Tribulations, Afflictions, and Calamities)'', the Sheikh describes the best practices for Muslims when faced with strife and conflict. He lays out nine principles to be used in such moments, which pertain to ways of conducting oneself, as well as general guidelines which must be respected. Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh also wrote ''Clarification of Some Common Mistakes'' in which the chapter ''40 Common Mistakes in Salaat rayer' outlines common mistakes performed during the

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or ''Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main ...

prayer and how to rectify them, including body positioning and recitations.40 Common Mistakes in Salaat
''Islamkorea.com''

Publications

*''Islamic Principles for the Muslim’s Attitude During Fitan (Trials, Tribulations, Afflictions, and Calamities)'', Quran Sunnah Educational Programs, 1411 Hijri/October 1990 *''Clarification of Some Common Mistakes'', 1413 Hijri/1992 *''Explanation The Book of Tawheed'', 1424 Hijri/2003 *''Explanation of the Four Fundamentals'', 1433 Hijri/2014

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ash-Sheikh, Saleh bin Abdul-Aziz Government ministers of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian Wahhabists Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University alumni Living people 1959 births

Background and career

Religious work

Publications

See also

References