The video of the alleged former Imam of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Adel al-Kalbani, riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle with modern clothes quickly caught the attention of Saudi Arabia’s social media attention.
In a video recorded by a Snapchat user, al-Kabani was seen sitting on a Harley Davidson motorbike by the side of the road, wearing a vest with an American flag and several emblems. He smirks and happily gives a peace sign when the video-recording fan asks him to.
The name of the former Imam of the Grand Mosque has quickly trended on Twitter since the video began circulating on social media on Monday, sparking reactions from across the Arab world.
The viral video of the former Imam of the Grand Mosque riding a Harley motorbike caused pros and cons among netizens who issued comments ranging from supportive to critical.
One Twitter user said that Sheikh al-Kabani did not do anything forbidden and was free to do whatever he wanted. However, the user admitted that Muslims are used to seeing Imams, especially Imams of the sanctuary, dressed in a certain way.
And they do not accept seeing the Imams dressed in any other way, which is considered wrong. So, finally, the user ended his statement by saying that leave the creation to the Creator and deal with your and your family’s problems.
Another user scathingly criticized al-Kabani’s Western attire, contrasting with his chest-high beard, and said that the Imam had fallen far from decency and civility.
Meanwhile, another user defended Imam by saying that there is nothing wrong with Imam wearing modern clothes. It is his freedom, and no one will hold him accountable but God. The user questioned the actions of other users who interfered with the Imam’s affairs.
In early September 2008, Sheikh al-Kabani was notified by telephone that King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz had chosen him to be the Imam of Masjid al-Haram.
Sheikh al-Kabani admitted that it is not a problem to be an imam for thousands of people, but the Masjid al-Haram is the most sacred mosque by Muslims, different from other mosques on earth. He said that being an Imam there is an honor and makes you fear Allah.
