Saudi Arabia arrests pilgrim trying to honor Queen Elizabeth - this might be why

From Naharnet:

Saudi police arrested a Yemeni man this week after he advertised on social media his pilgrimage to Mecca, where he paid tribute to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II.

The pilgrim, who was not identified by name, had posted footage earlier this week that showed him holding a banner honoring the late queen from inside the courtyard of Mecca's Grand Mosque.

The clip quickly spread online, sparking outrage among devout Muslims and leading to the man's arrest on Monday for "violating the regulations and instructions" of the holy site. Security forces referred him to the public prosecutor to face charges.

"Umrah for the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, may Allah grant her peace in heaven and accept her among the righteous," the banner read in English and Arabic.

It turns out that at least some Muslim authorities say it is against Islamic law to pray for the soul of non-Muslims. 

Palestinian site Raya asked the question last week as to whether Muslims can pray for mercy for the soul of  Queen Elizabeth. It quotes an Islamic fatwa website saying that the clerics ruled "that mercy on the dead of infidels is not permissible, whether they are from The Jews and the Christians, or they were from others."

The same question was asked on Palestinian sites after Shireen Abu Akleh was killed, and the consensus was the same - she was a Christian and Muslims should not pray for her soul. There was a backlash, but not on the basis of Islamic law, rather for publicizing this ruling, which threatened to overshadow the public relations bonanza of her death. 

A similar question was asked about whether Abu Akleh, and presumably the Queen, are damned to eternal hellfire for their non-Muslim beliefs. The answer, again, seemed to be in the affirmative, although I've seen sites that say otherwise.

(h/t Ibn Boutros)

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