Successful meeting of “Alraid” and “Ummah” members with the Supreme Mufti of Saudi Arabia

Before the delegation of Ukrainian pilgrims performing Haj in 2012 came back home, Sheikh Abu-r-Rubb, head of the Shariah Committee affiliated with the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine (RAMU) “Ummah”, met Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullatif Al-Ash-Sheikh, Supreme Mufti of Saudi Arabia. The meeting could be held due to the agreement reached between representatives of the All-Ukrainian Association of Public Organizations (AAPO) “Alraid” and the Embassy of Saudi Arabia Kingdom.

The parties discussed important issues of cooperation and building up a mechanism for communications of the RAMU “Ummah” with the Supreme Council of Ulems headed by Sheikh Al-Ash-Sheikh and the Saudi Permanent Committee for Research and Fatwa Publishing. As both organizations engage most excellent experts of theoretical and practical aspects of Islam, this cooperation would be a stride forward for Ukrainian Muslims.

Sheikh Imad gave a brief account of the situation of Muslims in Ukraine and histories of establishing several Muslim associations, which started with volunteer effort of Muslim students from various countries. The effort resulted in creating communities and religious organizations that were subsequently united in the AAPO “Alraid” and the RAMU “Ummah” and other organizations. 

Sheikh Imad said: “Because we regard ourselves as followers of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, we would like to maintain relations with you as an active member of this entity”. Abdulaziz Al-Ash-Sheikh confirmed the willingness to build up a mechanism for elaborating highly important and burning issues, with consideration for European realities and mentality in responding them.

Sheikh Abdulaziz was introduced to everyday realities of Ukrainian Muslims and their active standing, by case of “Alraid”. Once “Alraid” was created by mere enthusiasm of Muslim students, it used to maintain relations with representatives of all Muslim countries, diplomatic persons and international organizations, such as the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe, the European Council on Fatwas and Research etc.

“Alraid” has had impressive gains by now, including eight established Islamic cultural centers, building and reconstruction of more than 150 mosques, guardianship of more than 2,000 orphans, organization of the international contest of Koran recitors and many others.

“Alraid” work is focused on both the Ukrainian Muslims (up-grading their religious learning or meeting their ritual needs) and the whole society which is essentially non-Muslim (social actions, social initiative, aid to the needy, charitable projects, sporting, cultural and education events). Restless effort of “Alraid” staff has been aimed to convey undistorted information about Islam to as broader community as possible and set up efficient cooperation with followers of other confessions and ideologies.

“Alraid” has acted since long as an initiative group organizing All-Ukrainian and international conferences, seminars and other scientific events with participation of public administration offices, public and religious leaders, expanding research and collaborating with many scientific centers and scientists. “Alraid” has received multiplicity of awards and deeds of gratitude from representatives of public administration offices.

On behalf of the Ukrainian pilgrims Sheikh Imad Abu-r-Rubb expressed sincere gratitude to Abdallah, King of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry on Haj and the other organizations which effort could ensure safe and comfortable stay of four to five million of pilgrims on a comparatively small area. Yet, problems still exist bearing in mind various difficulties and circumstances that is impossible to predict.

The head of the Ukrainian delegation spoke out proposals on improvements concerning Haj arrangements and services for pilgrims. Thus, he raised the problem of garbage cleaning, as Ukrainian pilgrims used to help to deal with it through cleaning their camp by their own initiative. 

He emphasized that Haj for many Muslims is a main event in their life, but their coming, which may often be the only one in their life, becomes darkened due to garbage heaps left by millions of pilgrims over the pilgrimage period. The problem might have been solved if lectures about importance of environmental care and cleanness in Islam were included in the obligatory program on preliminary preparation of pilgrims. This method has been efficiently tested for the second consecutive year inside the Ukrainian delegation; each time the pilgrims took part in their camp cleaning on absolutely volunteer basis, only for the sake of Allah pleasure, and their effort was inspiring nearby camps of pilgrims from other countries.   

Also, the issue was raised concerning discrepancies in calendars of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which entails believers’ discord in the matter of beginning and end of the fasting month, Haj rituals and festivals of Id-Al-Fitr and Id-Al-Adha (Uraza-Bayram and Kurban-Bayram).

Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullatif Al-Ash-Sheikh was born in 1943, in Riyadh. He suffered from eyesight-specific problems since the birth, and he became totally blind in 1960. Yet, it could not make him abandon his eagerness to learning: he began to study the Koran in the mosque of Ahmad bin Sanaan, and he memorized it as early as in twelve-year age. He was eager to attend scholars’ meetings, in order to absorb as much as possible learning from them. He transferred to Imam Ad-Dawa Institute in 1954, where he graduated from the Shariah faculty in 1962. The diploma work was defended by him when he was totally blind. 

After that, Seikh was teaching in this Institute till 1971 when he was invited to teach at the Shariah faculty of Imam Muhammad University in Riyadh, where he was working till 1991.

He was appointed as a member of the Supreme Council of Ulems in 1986; in 1995 he was appointed as a member of the Saudi Permanent Committee for Research and Fatwa Publishing and as a deputy of the Supreme Mufti of the Kingdom. 

Sheikh has been active participant of the radio program “Nurun’ala ad-Darb” where he was answering listeners’ questions; he gave lessons in the Central Mosque of Imam Turki ibn Abdullah, participated in seminars, lectures, debates at PhD theses defending.  

After the death of his supervisor, Sheikh Ibn Baz, Abdulaziz Al-Ash-Sheikh became the Supreme Mufti of Saudi Arabia Kingdom, and headed the Supreme Council of Ulems and the Saudi Permanent Committee for Research and Fatwa Publishing.