The General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque mourned Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Zain Al-Abidin Al-Sheibi, the senior keeper of the Sacred House of Allah and the custodian of the Key to the Holy Kaaba. The authority stated: "With hearts content with God's decree, the General Authority for the Care of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque and all its members extend their condolences and sympathies to the family of the deceased, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Zain Al-Abidin Al-Sheibi, the senior keeper of the Sacred House of Allah."
The authority prayed for God's mercy upon the deceased, who was the 77th keeper since the opening of Mecca during the time of the Prophet and the 109th since the era of Qusayy bin Kilab. The deceased passed away on Friday evening, and prayers were held for his body after the Fajr prayer on Saturday at the Grand Mosque, followed by his burial in the Mu'alla cemetery. Throughout his life, the late Sheikh had the honor of washing the Kaaba more than 100 times.
It is noteworthy that the late Al-Sheibi was a descendant of Shiba bin عثمان بن أبي طلحة, who the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said to: "Take it, O sons of Talhah, as a permanent trust, and only a tyrant may take it from you." The custodianship is inherited from one person to another, as the key to the Holy Kaaba is passed directly to the next keeper. It is not a requirement for the keeper to be the son of the previous keeper; the key can go to a cousin, and so forth, with the age being the determining factor for the keeper.
