This year’s sermon delivered by Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Asheikh in the plains of Arafat was the 34th such sermon.
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Asheikh lost his vision at the age of 17. His mother had supplicated for the mercy of God and advised his son in that manner. She had also prayed that the Sheikh will be able to be one who will address the Islamic world.
The Sheikh addressed the nearly 3 billion congregation in the plains of Arafat and the 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe in the same spot Prophet Mohamed delivered his final sermon. His sermon is immediately translated into different languages.
Born in 1941, the Sheikh had memorized the entire Quran by the time he was 11 years old. He became an orphan at the age of 8 with the passing of his father. Even though, he had been declared completely blind by the time he was 17, his interest in religious studies had not diminished.
He starts preparations immediately after the holy month of Ramadan. At the outset, he visualizes the content of the speech after going thoroughly through the farewell sermon of the Prophet (pbuh) and pondering over the major contemporary challenges facing the Islamic Ummah and the ideal solutions for them. This is supplemented by discussions with other scholars.
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti delivers 34th sermon
