Grand Mufti
The Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is the head of regional muftis, Islamic jurisconsults, of a state. The office originated in the early modern era in the Ottoman Empire and has been later adopted in a number of modern countries.[1][2]
.jpg.webp)
.jpg.webp)
.jpg.webp)
- Abdul Aziz Juned, Grand Mufti of Brunei
- Talgat Tadzhuddin, Grand Mufti of Russia
- Rawil Gaynetdin, another Grand Mufti of Russia
- Husein Kavazović, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Part of a series on |
| Islam |
|---|
 |
| Part of a series on Islam |
| Usul al-Fiqh |
|---|
| Fiqh |
| Ahkam |
| Legal vocations and titles |
|
Muftis are Islamic jurists qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (fatwa) on a point of Islamic law (sharia). In the 15th century, muftis of the Ottoman Empire, who had acted as independent scholars in earlier times, began to be integrated into a hierarchical bureaucracy of religious institutions and scholars. By the end of the 16th century, the government-appointed mufti of Istanbul came to be recognized under the title Shaykh al-Islam (Turkish: şeyhülislam) as the Grand Mufti in charge of this hierarchy. The Ottoman Grand Mufti performed a number of functions, including advising the sultan on religious matters, legitimizing government policies, and appointing judges. After the dissolution the Ottoman Empire the office of the Grand Mufti has been adopted in a number of countries across the Muslim world, often serving the role of providing religious support for government policies.[2] The Grand Mufti is generally an individual appointed by the state, although the office has collective or elective character in some modern countries.[1][2]
History
Muftis are Muslim religious scholars who issue legal opinions (fatwas) interpreting sharia (Islamic law).[3]: 16–20 The Ottoman Empire began the practice of giving official recognition and status to a single mufti, above all others, as the Grand Mufti.[3]: 5 The Sheikh ul-Islam (or "grand mufti") of Istanbul had, since the late 16th century, come to be regarded as the head of the religious establishment.[4] He was thus not only pre-eminent but bureaucratically responsible for the body of religious-legal scholars and gave legal rulings on important state policies such as the dethronement of rulers.[4] This practice was subsequently borrowed and adapted by Egypt for the head of its Dar al-Ifta (House of Fatwas) from the mid-19th century.[3]: 5 From there, the concept spread to other Muslim states, so that today there are approximately 16 countries with sizable Muslim populations which have a Grand Mufti.[3]: 85 The relationship between the Grand Mufti of any given state and the state's rulers can vary considerably, both by region and by historical era.
Election
Brunei
The State Mufti of Brunei is nominated by the Sultan.
India
The Grand Mufti of India is elected by the Electoral college and appointed by the Islamic Community of India.
Jerusalem
Throughout the era of British colonialism, the British retained the institution of Grand Mufti in some Muslim areas under their control and accorded the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem the highest political stature in Palestine. During World War I (1914–1918), there were two competing Grand Muftis of Jerusalem, one endorsed by the British and one by the Ottoman Empire. When Palestine was under British rule, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was a position appointed by the British Mandate authorities. In the Palestinian National Authority, the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Grand Mufti is appointed by the president.
Malaysia
Malaysia has a unique system of collective mufti. Nine of the fourteen Malaysian states have their own constitutional monarchy; nine are ruled by their own constitutional monarch while the country is led by a monarch elected from the nine. These nine monarchs have authority over religious matters within their own states: therefore, each of these nine states have their own mufti who usually controls the Islamic Council or Islamic Department of the state. At the national level, a National Council of Fatwa (Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan) has been formed under the Department of Islamic Advancement of Malaysia (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia or JAKIM). JAKIM appoints five Muftis for the five states which do not have monarchs. The muftis of the nine monarchical states, together with the five officials appointed by JAKIM in the National Council of Fatwā, collectively issue fatāwā at the national level.
Mughal Empire
In the Mughal Empire, the Grand Mufti of India was a state official.
Ottoman Empire
In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Mufti was a state official, and the Grand Mufti of Constantinople was the highest of these.
Saudi Arabia
The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, with office created in 1953, is appointed by the King.
Tunisia
According to Article 78 of the 2014 Constitution, the Grand Mufti of Tunisia is appointed and can be dismissed by the President of the Republic.[5]
List of Grand Muftis
The list includes the names of currently appointed Grand Muftis who will take office on an appointed date and appointed by a governing committee.
| State | Incumbent | Status | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Bujar Spahiu  (1976 – )[6] |
Appointed Chairman of the Muslim Community of Albania (KMSH) by the Muslim Community of Albania | March 2019 |
| Australia | Ibrahim Abu Mohamed ( – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Australia by the Australian National Imams Council | September 2016 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Husein Kavazović (3 July 1964 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina | September 2012 |
| Brunei | Abdul Aziz Juned (22 December 1941 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti Brunei by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah | 1 September 1994 |
| Bulgaria | Mustafa Hadzhi (31 March 1962 – ) |
Appointed Chief Mufti of Bulgaria by the Supreme Muslim Council | 1997 – 2005 (first term) 2005 – |
| Canada | Syed Soharwardy (1955 – ) | Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (Grand Mufti of Canada) | 2000 – |
| Caucasus | Allahshukur Pashazadeh (26 August 1949 – ) |
Appointed chairman of the Supreme Religious Board of Caucasian People by the Religious Council of the Caucasus | 1992 – |
| China | Xilalunding Chen Guangyuan | Chairman of the Islamic Association of China | |
| Egypt | Shawki Allam (12 August 1961 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Egypt by the Council of Senior Scholars of Al-Azhar and approved by the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi | February 2013 |
| Ghana | Osman Nuhu Sharubutu (23 April 1919 – ) | National Chief Imam of Ghana (De facto) | |
| Guinea | El Hadj Mamadou Saliou Camara ( – ) | Grand Imam of Guinea (De facto) | |
| India | Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (22 March 1931 – ) |
Appointed Grand Mufti of India by the Islamic Community of India | 2019 – |
| Iraq | Mahdi Al-Sumaidaie (20. century – ) | Grand Mufti of the Iraqi Sunnis (de facto) | |
| Jordan | Abdul Karim Khasawneh (1944 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Jordan by the Cabinet of Jordan and Abdul Hafez Rabtah as Chief Islamic Justice of the Kingdom of Jordan | 11 November 2019 |
| Kazakhstan | ( – ) | Appointed Supreme Mufti of Kazakhstan by the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kazakhstan as per nomination of former Supreme Mufti, Serikbai Kazhy Oraz | 7 February 2020 |
| Kosovo | Naim Ternava (7 January 1961 – ) |
Appointed Grand Mufti of Kosovo by the Islamic Community of Kosova | October 2003 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Maksatbek Toktomushev (9 August 1973 – ) |
Appointed Mufti of Kyrgyzstan | 2014 |
| Lebanon | Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian (3 April 1953 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Lebanon by the Higher Islamic Council | 10 August 2014 |
| Libya | Sadiq Al-Ghariani (8 December 1942 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Libya by the National Transitional Council | May 2011 |
| Lithuania | ( – ) | Grand Mufti of Lithuania (De facto) | |
| Macedonia | Sulejman Rexhepi (1947 – ) |
Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Religious Community of Macedonia | |
| Malaysia | Luqman Abdullah (12 September 1969 – )[7] |
Mufti of the Federal Territories (Website: muftiwp.gov.my) | 16 May 2020 |
| Mohd Tahrir Samsudin | Mufti of Johor (Website: mufti.johor.gov.my) | 13 November 2008 | |
| Syeikh Fadzil Awang[8][9] | Mufti of Kedah (Website: mufti.kedah.gov.my) | 20 July 2017 | |
| Mohamad Shukri Mohamad[10] | Mufti of Kelantan (Website: muftikelantan.gov.my) | ||
| Abdul Halim Tawil[11] | Acting Mufti of Malacca (Website: muftimelaka.gov.my) | ||
| Mohd Yusof Ahmad[12][13] | Mufti of Negeri Sembilan (Website: muftins.gov.my) | 1 April 2009 | |
| Abdul Rahman Osman[14][15][16] | Mufti of Pahang (Website: mufti.pahang.gov.my) | ||
| Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor[17] | Mufti of Penang (Website: mufti.penang.gov.my) | 7 June 2014 | |
| Harussani Zakaria (8 April 1939 – 30 May 2021)[18] |
Mufti of Perak (Website: mufti.perak.gov.my) | December 1985 | |
| Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (1 January 1971 – )[19] | Mufti of Perlis (Website: mufti.perlis.gov.my) | 2 February 2015 | |
| Bungsu Aziz Jaafar[20] | Mufti of Sabah (Website: mufti.sabah.gov.my) | 10 August 2012 | |
| Kipli Yassin[21] | Mufti of Sarawak (Website: muftinegeri.sarawak.gov.my) | ||
| Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid (1 January 1928 – )[22][23] |
Mufti of Selangor (Website: muftiselangor.gov.my) | 16 March 1998 | |
| Zulkifly Muda[24] | Mufti of Terengganu (Website: mufti.terengganu.gov.my) | 1 April 2013 | |
| Mali | Chérif Ousmane Madani Haïdara | Chairman of the High Islamic Council of Mali | April 2019 |
| Mauritania | Ahmed Ould Murabit[25] | Grand Mufti of Mauritania | |
| Montenegro | Rifat Fejzić ( – ) |
Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community of Montenegro | |
| New Zealand | ( – )[26] | Appointed Grand Mufti of New Zealand | |
| Nigeria | Ibrahim Ibn Saleh al-Hussaini (1938 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Nigeria by the Supreme Council for Fatwa and Islamic Affairs in Nigeria | |
| Oman | Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili (27 July 1942 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman by the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said | 1975 |
| Pakistan | Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman | Grand Mufti of Pakistan | |
| Palestine | Muhammad Ahmad Hussein (10 March 1950 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas | July 2006 |
| Poland | Tomasz Miśkiewicz (9 July 1977 – ) | Appointed Mufti of the Republic of Poland by the Muslim Religious Union in the Republic of Poland | 2004 |
| Romania | Murat Iusuf (18 August 1977 – ) (Murād Yūsuf) | Grand Mufti of Romania | 2005 |
| Russia | Talgat Tadzhuddin (12 October 1948 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Russia by the Central Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Russia | 1992 |
| Rawil Ğaynetdin (25 August 1959 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Russia by the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Russian Federation | 1 July 1996 | |
| Ismail Berdiyev (27 February 1954 – ) | Appointed Mufti of Karachay-Cherkessia and Chairman of the Coordinating Center of North Caucasus Muslims | 1991 | |
| Ahmad Afandi Abdulaev (15 September 1959 – ) | Appointed Mufti of Dagestan | 1998 | |
| Salah Mezhiev (10 January 1977 – ) | Appointed Mufti of Chechnya by Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov | 12 June 2014 | |
| Kamil Sämiğullin (22 March 1985 – ) |
Appointed Mufti of Tatarstan | 17 April 2013 | |
| ( – ) | Appointed Mufti of Bashkortostan | ||
| ( – ) | Appointed Mufti of Kabardino-Balkaria | ||
| ( – ) | Appointed Mufti of Ingushetia | ||
| ( – ) | Appointed Mufti of Adygea and Krasnodar Krai | ||
| Saudi Arabia | Abdulaziz Al Sheikh (10 February 1943 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia by the King of Saudi Arabia, Fahd of Saudi Arabia | June 1999 |
| Serbia | Sead Nasufović (22 June 1979 – )[27][28] | Appointed Mufti of Serbia by the Islamic Community of Serbia | July 2016 |
| Singapore | Nazirudin Mohd Nasir[29][30][31] | Appointed Mufti of the Republic of Singapore by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, the statutory board of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth | 1 March 2020 – |
| South Africa | Mufti Mohamed Akbar Hazarvi https://www.news24.com/news24/grand-mufti-of-sa-scheduled-to-visit-cape-town-20131024 | Appointed Mufti by the Sunni Ulama Council, Sunni Ulama Cape and Cape Town Ulama Board | 20 June 2000- |
| Tunisia | Othman Battikh (17 April 1941 – 25 October 2022) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Tunisia by the President of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2008 and Beji Caid Essebsi in 2016 | 2008 – 5 January 2016 (resigned for haj pilgrimage in 2016) 12 January 2016 – (reappointed by the president after one week) |
| Turkey | Ali Erbaş (1961 – ) |
Appointed President of Directorate of Religious Affairs by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, acting as Grand Mufti of the country. | 17 September 2017 |
| United Arab Emirates | ( – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Dubai by Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department | |
| United States | Mohammed A Aziz | Grand Mufti of the United States | |
| Uzbekistan | Usmankhan Alimov (1 January 1950 – 15 August 2021) | Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan | 8 August 2006 |
| Zimbabwe | Ismail ibn Musa Menk (b. 1975)[32] | Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe |
List of former Grand Muftis
| State | Incumbent | Status | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mustafa Cerić (5 February 1952 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina | April 1993 – November 2012 |
| Brunei | Ismail Omar Abdul Aziz (1911 – 1993) | Appointed State Mufti of Brunei | 1962–1994 |
| India | ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni (21 August 1540 – 5 November 1615) | Appointed Grand Mufti of India by the Mughal emperor, Akbar, appointed him to the muftiat in 1574 where he spent much of his career. | 16th century – 17th century |
| Shah Fazle Rasool Badayuni (1 July 1798 – 8 August 1872) |
Appointed Grand Mufti of India by the final Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. | 19th century | |
| Kifayatullah Dehlawi (November 1882 - 31 December 1952)
مفتی اعظم محمد کفایت اللہ دہلوی (Urdu, his native language), |
20th century | ||
| Amjad Ali Aazmi (November 1882 – 6 September 1948) | Elected as Grand Mufti of India by Electoral college and Appointed by the Islamic Community of India. | 20th century | |
| Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri (18 July 1892, 1892 – 11 November 1981, 1981) | Elected as Grand Mufti of India by Electoral college and Appointed by the Islamic Community of India. | 20th century | |
| Akhtar Raza Khan (23 November 1943 – 20 July 2018) | Elected as Grand Mufti of India by Electoral college and Appointed by the Islamic Community of India. | 20th century – 20 July 2018[35][36] | |
| Malaysia | Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri (16 January 1969 – ) | Appointed Mufti of the Federal Territories | 20 June 2014 - 16 May 2020 |
| Palestine | Mohammed Tahir al-Husayni (1842 – 1908) (Hanafi) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | 1869–1908 |
| Kamil al-Husayni (23 February 1867 – 31 March 1921) (Hanafi) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | 1908–1921 | |
| As'ad Shukeiri (1860 – 1940) (Hanafi) | Appointed Qadi by the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. | 1914–1918 | |
| Amin al-Husseini (1 January 1895 – 4 July 1974) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | 1921–1937 | |
| Hussam ad-Din Jarallah (1884 – 6 March 1954) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | 1948–1952 | |
| Saad al-Alami (1911 – 6 February 1993) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf | 1952–1993 | |
| Sulaiman Ja'abari (1912 – 1994) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | 1993–1994 | |
| Ekrima Sa'id Sabri (1939 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the .... | October 1994 – July 2006 | |
| Philippines | Abuhuraira Udasan (3 March 1942 – 3 July 2023) | Grand Mufti of Bangsamoro | Until July 2023 |
| Saudi Arabia | Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh (24 July 1893 – 3 December 1969) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia by the .... | 1953–1969 |
| Abd al-Aziz Ibn Baz (22 November 1912 – 13 May 1999) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia by the .... | 1992–1999 | |
| Syria | Ahmed Kuftaro (1915 – 1 September 2004) | Appointed Grand Mufti of Syria | 26 October 1964 – 1 September 2004 |
| Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun (25 April 1949 – ) | Appointed Grand Mufti of the Republic by the President of President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad | July 2005 – November 2021[37] |
References
- John L. Esposito, ed. (2014). "Grand Mufti". The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- James Broucek (2013). "Mufti/Grand mufti". In Gerhard Böwering, Patricia Crone (ed.). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought. Princeton University Press.
- Vogel, Frank E. (2000). Islamic Law and the Legal System of Saudí: Studies of Saudi Arabia. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004110625.
- Faroqhi, Suraiya N. (2006). The Cambridge History of Turkey. The Later Ottoman Empire, 1603–1839 (1st ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 213. ISBN 9780521620956. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- "Title four, chapter one, article 78" (PDF). THE CONSTITUTION OF THE TUNISIAN REPUBLIC (Unofficial english translation). UNDP and International IDEA. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
- "Bujar Spahiu, Elected New Chairman of KMSH". Albanian Daily News. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- Baharu, Media. "Dr Luqman Abdullah Mufti Wilayah kelapan". Portal Berita RTM (in Malay). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- "Syeikh Fadzil Awang appointed new Kedah mufti | The Star Online". The Star. Malaysia. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Zulkefli, Adie Suri (21 July 2017). "Syeikh Fadzil Awang appointed new Kedah Mufti". NST Online. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Zaidi, Hazira Ahmad (14 February 2020). "Kelantan guna pakai fatwa kebangsaan". HM Online (in Malay). Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Ahli MAIM – Majlis Agama Islam Melaka (MAIM)". maim.gov.my. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Nor, Mohd Helmi Irwadi Mohd (17 March 2019). "Negri mufti wants PUBG online shooting game banned". NST Online. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Negri mufti wants PUBG online shooting game banned". MSN. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Bernama (10 January 2020). "Agong: I will strive to unite Malaysians". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Jabatan Mufti Negeri Pahang – MUFTI PAHANG". mufti.pahang.gov.my. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Lokman, Tasnim (28 November 2019). "Pahang Mufti: Children should be finishing school, not getting married". NST Online. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Mok, Opalyn (14 January 2020). "Freedom in Islam must be balanced with responsibility, Penang mufti tells G25 | Malay Mail". The Malay Mail. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Mohsen, Amar Shah. "Khat controversy shows nation hyper-sensitive to racial, religious issues". The Sun. Malaysia. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Bakar, Adam Abu (27 January 2018). "Asri hits back at critics, maintains Shia Muslims a threat". Free Malaysia Today. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Abdullah, Mohd Izham Unnip (12 July 2018). "Appointment of Sabah and Sarawak chief judge as Chief Justice is honour for East Malaysia". NST Online. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "Seeking divine intervention to fight crime". Borneo Post. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- HARIAN, WARTAWAN SINAR (17 June 2019). "Hindari fitnah demi perpaduan, pesan Mufti Selangor". Sinarharian (in Malay). Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Noh, Oleh Norzamira Che (1 August 2017). "Bin/Binti bapa biologi boleh cetus kekeliruan". BH Online (in Malay). Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "'Merry Christmas' is fine, but avoid being Santa, says mufti". MSN. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- "مفتي موريتانيا يتحدث للعربية.نت عن "خطر وحظر الإخوان"". العربية (in Arabic). 1 October 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- Mufti of New Zealand praises measures taken by the Kingdom to suspend Umrah and visiting visas for countries infected with Coronavirus
- Serbia, RTS, Radio televizija Srbije, Radio Television of. "Sead Nasufović novi reis Islamske zajednice Srbije". rts.rs. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Tanjug. "Svečano ustoličen novi reis-ul-ulema Nasufović". Blic (in Serbian). Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- "MEDIA STATEMENT ON KEY CHANGES TO SENIOR RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP IN MUIS". Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Press release).
On 1 Mar 2020, Ustaz Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram will step down and Ustaz Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir will be appointed Mufti of the Republic of Singapore. The appointment of the Mufti is made by the President of Singapore in consultation with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.
- "New Mufti appointed as MUIS sees changes to senior religious leadership". CNA. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- hermes (10 January 2020). "Singapore Muslims to have new Mufti from March 1". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Piscatori, James; Saikal, Amin (19 September 2019). Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics. ISBN 9781108481250.
- Mufti Azam Hind, Maulana Kifayatyullah Shahjahanpuri Thumma Dehlawi (2005 ed.). Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library.
- https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/10603/245048/7/07%20chapter%203.pdf
- "Noted Barelvi cleric Azhari Miyan dies". The Times of India. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- "Thousands throng funeral of noted Barelvi cleric; traffic blocked for eight hours". The Times of India. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- "Syria's President Scraps Post of Mufti of Republic". en. 16 November 2021.