INTERNATIONAL

A man who dedicated an Umrah pilgrimage to the late Queen Elizabeth II from the Grand Mosque of Mecca was arrested by Saudi police on Monday.

The Saudi Public Security agency said on Twitter the Yemeni resident was arrested for violating the Umrah rules by carrying a sign after he posted a video of himself during his pilgrimage with a banner that read: “Umrah for the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, we ask Allah to accept her in heaven and among the righteous.”

It added that he has been referred to the public prosecution for investigation.

The arrest came after criticism was levelled against the Yemeni national on social media after his video went viral. Islamic law permits Muslims to perform Umrah pilgrimage on behalf of deceased Muslims but not people of other faiths.

Queen Elizabeth, who died on Thursday aged 96, was a devout Christian who also served as the supreme governor of the Church of England.

“The late Queen Elizabeth II does not have to perform Hajj or Umrah because she is not a Muslim,” the scholar, Ashraf al-Najjar, told TeN TV.

“Hajj and Umrah are for Muslims,” he said. “Islam has designated Mecca and Medina only for Muslims to hold these rituals, so it is not permissible for a non-Muslim to enter them.”

He pointed out, however, that making prayers for non-Muslims, including the late queen, is permissible.

“The Prophet Muhammad prayed for a deceased Jewish man when his funeral passed next to him,” he said, providing an example from Islamic heritage.

Source: Middle East Eye