Shaykh al-Islām (
Arabic: شيخ الإسلام,
romanized: Šayḫ al-Islām;
Persian: شِیخُالاسلام, Sheykh-ol-Eslām;
Urdu: شِیخُالاسلام, Sheikh-ul-Islām;
Ottoman Turkish: شیخ الاسلام,
Turkish: Şeyhülislam[1]) was used in the classical era as an honorific title for outstanding scholars of the Islamic sciences.[2]: 399 [3] It first emerged in
Khurasan towards the end of the 4th Islamic century.[2]: 399 In the central and western lands of Islam, it was an informal title given to jurists whose
fatwas were particularly influential, while in the east it came to be conferred by rulers to
ulama who played various official roles but were not generally
muftis. Sometimes, as in the case of
Ibn Taymiyyah, the use of the title was subject to controversy. In the
Ottoman Empire, starting from the early modern era, the title came to designate the chief mufti, who oversaw a hierarchy of state-appointed ulama. The Ottoman Sheikh al-Islam (French spelling: cheikh-ul-islam[note 1]) performed a number of functions, including advising the sultan on religious matters, legitimizing government policies, and appointing judges.[2]: 400 [5]
With the
abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, the official Ottoman office of Shaykh al-Islām, already in decline, was eliminated.[6] Modern times have seen the role of chief mufti carried out by
grand muftis appointed or elected in a variety of ways.[3]
Classical usage
Like other honorific titles starting with the word sheikh, the term shaykh al-islam was in the classical era reserved for
ulama and mystics. It first appeared in
Khurasan in the 4th century
AH (10th century AD).[2]: 399 In major cities of Khurasan it seems to have had more specific connotations, since only one person held the title at any given time and place. Holders of the title in Khurasan were among the most influential ulama, but there is no evidence that they delivered
fatwas.
Under the
Ilkhans, the
Delhi Sultanate and the
Timurids the title was conferred, often by the ruler, to high-ranking ulama who performed various functions but were not generally muftis.[2]: 400
In the
Kashmiri Sultanate, it was implemented during the reign of
Sultan Sikandar. He established the office of the Shaikhu'l-Islam under the influence of Sayyid
Muhammad Hamadan, who had come to Kashmir in 1393 AD.[7]
In
Syria and
Egypt, it was given to influential jurists and had an honorific rather than an official role. By 700 AH/1300 AD in the central and western lands of Islam, the term became associated with giving of fatwas.
Ibn Taymiyya was given the title by his supporters but his adversaries contested this use.[2]: 400 For example, the
Hanafi scholar
'Ala' al-Din al-Bukhari issued a fatwa stating that anyone who called Ibn Taymiyya "Shaykh al-islam" had committed disbelief (kufr).[8][9] However,
Shafiite scholar
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani defended the title of Shaykh al Islam for Ibn Taymiyyah, saying in his own words, " His status as imam, sheikh, Taqiyuddin Ibn Taimiyah, is brighter than the sun. And his title with Shaykhul Islam, we still often hear from holy orals until now, and will continue to survive tomorrow.."[10][11], which was recorded by his student
al Sakhawi.[11] The
Hanbalitemadhhab scholar and follower of Ibn Taymiyyah,
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (himself also given Shaykh al Islam title by his contemporary) defended the usage of the title for him. Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim are both known for contradicting the views of the majority of scholars of all four schools of thought (Hanafi, Shafi'i,
Maliki, and Hanbali) of their time in
Damascus and of later periods.[12][13]
There is disagreement on whether the title was honorific or represented a local mufti in
Seljuq and early
Ottoman Anatolia.[2]: 400
In the
Ottoman Empire, which controlled much of the Sunni Islamic world from the 14th to the 20th centuries, the Grand Mufti was given the title Sheikh ul-islam (
Ottoman Turkish: Şeyḫülislām). The Ottomans had a strict hierarchy of
ulama, with the Sheikh ul-Islam holding the highest rank. A Sheikh ul-Islam was chosen by a royal warrant amongst the
qadis of important cities. The Sheikh ul-Islam had the power to confirm new
sultans. However, once the sultan was affirmed, the sultan retained a higher authority than the Sheik ul-Islam. The Sheikh ul-Islam issued
fatwas, which were written interpretations of the Quran that had authority over the community. The Sheikh ul-Islam represented the Sacred Law of
Shariah and in the 16th century its importance rose which led to increased power.
The office of Sheikh ul-islam was abolished in 1924, at the same time as the
Ottoman Caliphate. After the
National Assembly of Turkey was established in 1920, the office of Sheikh ul-Islam was placed in the Shar’iyya wa Awqaf Ministry. In 1924, the office of Sheikh ul-Islam was
abolished along with the Caliphate. The office was replaced by the
Presidency of Religious Affairs.[14] As the successor entity to the office of the Sheikh ul-Islam, the Presidency of Religious Affairs is the most authoritative entity in Turkey in relation to
Sunni Islam.[14]
Honorific recipients
The following Islamic scholars have been given the honorific title "Shaykh al-Islam":
^James Broucek (2013). "Mufti/Grand mufti". In
Gerhard Böwering;
Patricia Crone (eds.). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought. Princeton University Press.
^Lucas, Scott C. (2004). Constructive Critics, Ḥadīth Literature, and the Articulation of Sunnī Islam The Legacy of the Generation of Ibn Saʻd, Ibn Maʻīn, and Ibn Ḥanbal.
Brill. p. 368.
ISBN9789004133198.
^Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Islam and the Fate of Others: The Salvation Question, Oxford University Press, 3 May 2012, p 89.
ISBN0199796661
^Ayub, Zulfiqar (2 May 2015). THE BIOGRAPHIES OF THE ELITE LIVES OF THE SCHOLARS, IMAMS & HADITH MASTERS Biographies of The Imams & Scholars. Zulfiqar Ayub Publications. p. 291.
^The Middle East Documentation Center (MEDOC) At The University Of Chicago (2002).
"knowledge.uchicago.edu". Mamlūk Studies Review Vol. VI (2002). 6: 118.
doi:
10.6082/M1XP7300.
^Ghersetti, Antonella (18 October 2016). Al-Suyūṭī, a Polymath of the Mamlūk Period Proceedings of the Themed Day of the First Conference of the School of Mamlūk Studies (Ca' Foscari University, Venice, June 23, 2014).
Brill. p. 259.
ISBN9789004334526.
^Sayyid Rami Al Rifai (3 July 2015). The Islamic Journal From Islamic Civilisation To The Heart Of Islam, Ihsan, Human Perfection. Sunnah Muakada. p. 37.