For centuries, the tomb of Mohammed in Medina and the shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca have been guarded and served by eunuchs. An article published in the Saudi Gazette in October of 2016 reported that the last of the eunuchs to enter service (plural in the article) were appointed in 1978. At that time there were 14 eunuchs at the Kaaba in Mecca and 12 at the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina. These are supposed to be the last ones presented to serve, as the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz Bin Baz, declared in a fatwa that there should be no further eunuchs added to the shrine guardians. There does not seem to be any reversal of this fatwa since his death in 1999.

Al-Baz was very conservative. He is the one who declared that women should not be allowed to drive in the kingdom. He declared that belief that the Earth rotated around the Sun was un-Islamic. The Earth was stable and flat in his teachings.

Is this a job posting?

Is this a job posting?

No, sir: "

JesusA (imported) wrote: Tue Sep 28, 2021 8:17 am These are supposed to be the last ones presented to serve...

"

For the Arabic term for "sanctuary", see Haram (site). For other uses, see Haram (disambiguation).

(Not to be confused with Harem or Herem!)

Haram

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haram

Haram (site)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haram_(site)

Haram (disambiguation)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haram_(disambiguation)

But

Harem

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Harem

Herem (war or property)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herem_(war_or_property)

Herem (censure)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herem_(censure)

Apparently, the fatwa was a bit slippery. Even while the Grand Mufti al-Baz was still alive and still the Grand Mufti for the kingdom, yet another eunuch was added to the guardians in Medina in 1984. Ahmad Nasr, a Sudanese academic, interviewed him in 2001 while on pilgrimage and claimed that HE would be the final one added. Maybe; maybe not.