In a move that underscores the enduring power of Saudi Arabia’s religious establishment, King Salman has appointed Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, one of the kingdom’s most prominent ultraconservative clerics, as the country’s new grand mufti the highest Islamic authority in the nation.
The appointment, announced on October 22 by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, comes upon the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sheikh Saleh, who is 90 years old, succeeds Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, who held the post for more than 25 years before passing away in September.
Born in al-Qassim province in 1935, Sheikh Saleh’s rise from a humble Quran student to one of the most influential religious voices in the Arab world has been shaped by decades of scholarship and public outreach. His radio program “Noor ala al-Darb” (Light the Way) has long been a fixture in Saudi households, while his fatwas, or religious rulings, circulate widely on television and social media.
However, Sheikh Saleh’s career has not been without controversy. Human Rights Watch and other international observers have frequently criticized him for hardline views including past statements referring to Shiite Muslims as “brothers of Satan” and his insistence that slavery remains “part of jihad” in Islam, a remark dating back to 2003.
In 2016, a fatwa attributed to him made global headlines after banning the mobile game Pokémon Go, labeling it a form of gambling that distracted Muslims from their faith. The irony of that ruling has not gone unnoticed today, as Crown Prince Mohammed’s Public Investment Fund now holds substantial stakes in both Nintendo and Niantic, the game’s developer.
His appointment marks a historic shift ending a decades-long tradition of grand muftis being drawn from the al-Sheikh family, descendants of Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdul-Wahhab, whose 18th-century teachings form the backbone of Wahhabism, the ultraconservative doctrine that has long defined Saudi religious thought.
The timing of the move is particularly notable. While Crown Prince Mohammed has introduced sweeping social reforms in recent years including allowing women to drive, reopening cinemas, and easing guardianship laws analysts say appointing a figure like Sheikh Saleh reflects a delicate balancing act between modernization and maintaining support from conservative clerics who still wield deep influence among the kingdom’s older generation.
Religious scholars and observers suggest that Sheikh Saleh’s elevation could signal an effort to reassert religious legitimacy at a time when Saudi Arabia’s leadership seeks to project both global modernity and spiritual authority as the custodian of Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities.
Whether this appointment will reshape the kingdom’s religious tone or merely reaffirm its traditional underpinnings remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: in a rapidly changing Saudi Arabia, the voice of Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan will now carry more weight than ever.
