[DINAKuncher]

Please Note Before Commenting: We should not be hasty in speaking against Muslim rulers without having knowledge of its permissibility, and if allowed, the proper reasons and limits in doing so. In all our actions we need to strive to act with wisdom and consider the benefit that will be achieved and whether or not it will lead to greater harm.

This thread is about a Muslim who has passed away and whatever he has done in this life, his affair is with Allaah (swt) who will just him with perfect justice and He alone knows the full details of this person's life. I do not know what we seek to achieve by mentioning such a person's sins on a forum.

Lastly, here are some questions and points to reflect over:

1. Does backbiting a Muslim ruler cause you to sin, be rewarded or neither?

2. Does backbiting a Muslim ruler benefit you in your religion? Does it make you a better Muslim, a bad Muslim or neither?

3. This is the job of scholars to decide to do so or not and when to do so as it is suitable, while laypeople (like ourselves) should observe, look for and be concerned with what will benefit us in this life and hereafter.

Saturday 16 June 2012
Jeddah: The Royal Court issued today the following statement: With deep sorrow and grief, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, announced the death of his brother, Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, who passed away on Saturday abroad. A funeral prayer will be performed for his soul at the Holy Mosque in Makkah after Maghreb (sunset) prayer on Sunday.
The Royal Court condoles the Saudi people on the deceased prince, praying to Allah Almighty to bless his soul and to reward him for his services to his religion and homeland''.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has died "outside the kingdom", state media say.

Prince Nayef, who was also deputy prime minister and interior minister, had left the country for a holiday and medical tests late last month.

On 3 June, the deputy interior minister said the prince, who was 77 or 78, was in good health and would return "soon".

He was named crown prince in October 2011 after the death of the previous crown prince, Sultan bin Abdul Aziz.

The succession in Saudi Arabia still passes among the sons of former King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, who established the modern kingdom during his reign from 1932 to 1953.

Next in line is expected to be Crown Prince Nayef's 76-year-old brother, Prince Salman, who was appointed defence minister in November after spending five decades as governor of Riyadh.

King Abdullah, who is 89 years old, had a back operation last year.

A statement from the king published by the official SPA news agency, said Prince Nayef had died on Saturday "outside the kingdom" and would be buried Sunday after prayers in Mecca. It gave no more details.

Unconfirmed reports said Prince Nayef had been receiving medical treatment since May at a hospital in the Swiss city of Geneva.

http://arabnews.com/crown-prince-naif-has-died

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, a half brother of King Abdullah and the kingdom’s long-serving interior minister, died on Saturday, state television announced.

The 79-year-old Prince Nayef, who recently left Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, had “died outside the kingdom,” said Al-Ekhbariyah Television, quoting a statement from the royal court.

His funeral would be held on Sunday after sunset prayers in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, after his body is repatriated.

Powerful Nayef, who led an iron-fisted crackdown on al Qaeda following a wave of attacks in Saudi Arabia between 2003 and 2006, became heir to the throne in October last year following the death of crown prince Sultan, his full brother.

Nayef was the middle prince of the Sudairi Seven, the formidable bloc of sons of King Abdul Aziz by a favorite wife, Princess Hassa al Sudairi.

No one is officially in line to replace Nayef, but his brother Prince Salman, who took over the porfolio of defence minister after Sultan’s death, appears a strong candidate.

Prince Nayef had been abroad on several occasions this year for medical reasons, including to Algeria, the United States, and Switzerland, where he was seen a few days ago.

The nature of his illness has not been made public.

Less than two weeks ago, his brother Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz was quoted as saying in a Saudi daily that the crown prince was in “good health” and that he would “soon” return to the kingdom.

On May 26, state news agency SPA said Prince Nayef had left the country for medical tests abroad for the second time in less than three months, without naming the destination.

In March, the royal palace said he went to Algeria on holiday after the results of medical tests he underwent in the US city of Cleveland were reported as “reassuring.”

He returned to Saudi Arabia from Algeria on April 10.

The advanced age and failing health of the king and of his half-brothers in line to succeed him have raised concerns about the future of the oil giant in the face of the turmoil rocking the Arab world.