Grand Mufti
A Grand Mufti is a title for the leading Islamic jurist of a country, typically Sunni, who may oversee other muftis. Not all countries with large Sunni Muslim populations have Grand Muftis; in those that do, the Grand Mufti is typically appointed by the state or elected by a council of scholars. The office originated in the early modern era in the Ottoman Empire and has been later adopted in a number of countries that were never part of the Ottoman Empire.
Muftis are Islamic jurists qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion on a point of Islamic law. 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 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.
History
Muftis are Muslim religious scholars who issue legal opinions interpreting sharia. The Ottoman Empire began the practice of giving official recognition and status to a single mufti, above all others, as the Grand Mufti. The Sheikh ul-Islam of Istanbul had, since the late 16th century, come to be regarded as the head of the religious establishment. 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. This practice was subsequently borrowed and adapted by Egypt for the head of its Dar al-Ifta from the mid-19th century. 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. 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
India
The Grand Mufti of India is elected by the Sunni Barelvi Muslims and appointed by the Barelvi Sunni Muslims.Brunei
The State Mufti of Brunei is nominated by the Sultan.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, 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 has been formed under the Department of Islamic Advancement of Malaysia. 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.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 | Appointed Chairman of the Muslim Community of Albania by the Muslim Community of Albania | March 2019 | |
| Australia | Appointed Grand Mufti of Australia by the Australian National Imams Council | September 2016 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Appointed Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Islamic Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina | September 2012 | |
| Brunei | Appointed State Mufti of Brunei by the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah | 1 September 1994 | |
| Bulgaria | Mustafa Hadzhi | Appointed Chief Mufti of Bulgaria by the Supreme Muslim Council | 1997 – 2005 2005 – |
| Canada | Syed Soharwardy | Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada | 2000 |
| Caucasus region | Mufti of the Caucasus by the | 1980 – 1992 1992 – | |
| China | Xilalunding Chen Guangyuan | Chairman of the Islamic Association of China | November 2016 |
| Egypt | 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 | National Chief Imam of Ghana | 1993 | |
| Guinea | Grand Imam of Guinea | ||
| India | Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad | Appointed Grand Mufti of India by the Sunni Muslims of India | 2019 – |
| Iraq | Mahdi al-Sumayda'i | Grand Mufti of the Iraqi Sunnis | February 2014 |
| Japan | Yahya Toshio Endo | Chairman of the Japan Muslim Association | 2021 |
| Jordan | 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 | Nauryzbay Kazhy Taganuly | 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 | Appointed Grand Mufti of Kosovo by the Islamic Community of Kosova | October 2003 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Appointed Mufti of Kyrgyzstan | 2014 | |
| Lebanon | Appointed Grand Mufti of Lebanon by the Higher Islamic Council | 10 August 2014 | |
| Libya | Appointed Grand Mufti of Libya by the National Transitional Council | May 2011 | |
| Lithuania | Grand Mufti of Lithuania | ||
| Macedonia | Shaqir Fetahu | Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Religious Community of Macedonia | 2020 |
| Malaysia | Mufti of the Federal Territories | 16 May 2020 | |
| Malaysia | Dato Hj Yahya bin Ahmad | Mufti of Johor | 13 November 2018 |
| Malaysia | Syeikh Fadzil Awang | Mufti of Kedah | 20 July 2017 |
| Malaysia | Mohamad Shukri Mohamad | Mufti of Kelantan | 1 January 2008 |
| Malaysia | Abdul Halim Tawil | Mufti of Malacca | |
| Malaysia | Faudzinaim Badaruddin | Mufti of Negeri Sembilan | 4 October 2023 |
| Malaysia | Asmadi Mohamed Naim | Mufti of Pahang | 1 April 2024 |
| Malaysia | Mohd Sukki Othman Noor | Mufti of Penang | 1 July 2024 |
| Malaysia | Wan Zahidi Wan Teh | Mufti of Perak | 17 June 2022 |
| Malaysia | Mufti of Perlis | 2 February 2015 | |
| Malaysia | Bungsu Aziz Jaafar | Mufti of Sabah | 10 August 2012 |
| Malaysia | Kipli Yassin | Mufti of Sarawak | |
| Malaysia | Anhar Opir | Mufti of Selangor | 29 July 2022 |
| Malaysia | Sabri Haron | Mufti of Terengganu | 12 April 2021 |
| Mali | Chérif Ousmane Madani Haïdara | Chairman of the High Islamic Council of Mali | April 2019 |
| Mauritania | Ahmed Ould Murabit | Grand Mufti of Mauritania | |
| Montenegro | Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community of Montenegro | ||
| New Zealand | Appointed Grand Mufti of New Zealand | ||
| Nigeria | Appointed Grand Mufti of Nigeria by the Supreme Council for Fatwa and Islamic Affairs in Nigeria | ||
| Oman | Appointed Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman by the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said | 1975 | |
| Pakistan | Munib ur-Rahman | Grand Mufti of the Barelvi school in Pakistan | |
| Pakistan | Taqi Usmani | Grand Mufti of the Deobandi school in Pakistan | |
| Palestine | Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem by the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas | July 2006 | |
| Poland | Appointed Mufti of the Republic of Poland by the Muslim Religious Union in the Republic of Poland | 2004 | |
| Romania | Grand Mufti of Romania | 2005 | |
| Russia | Appointed Grand Mufti of Russia by the | 1992 | |
| Russia | Appointed Grand Mufti of Russia by the | 2014 | |
| Saudi Arabia | Appointed Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia by the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman of Saudi Arabia | 22 October 2025 | |
| Serbia | Appointed Mufti of Serbia by the Islamic Community of Serbia | July 2016 | |
| Singapore | Nazirudin Mohd Nasir | 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 | Appointed Mufti by the Sunni Ulama Council, Sunni Ulama Cape and Cape Town Ulama Board | 20 June 2000- |
| South Korea | Mufti Muhammad Abdul Wahhab Zahid Al-Haq | Elected by the Muslim imams in Korea, and endorsed by the Korea Muslim Federation | |
| Syria | Osama al-Rifai | Grand Mufti of Syria appointed by the Syrian opposition | November 2021 |
| Tunisia | 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 12 January 2016 – | |
| Turkey | Safi Arpaguş | Appointed President of Directorate of Religious Affairs by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, acting as Grand Mufti of the country. | 18 September 2025 |
| United Arab Emirates | Appointed Grand Mufti of Dubai by Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department | ||
| United States | Chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America | ||
| Uzbekistan | Nuriddin Xoliqnazarov | Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan | 19 October 2021 |
| Zimbabwe | Ismail ibn Musa Menk | Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe | - |