shaykh al-Islām

Arabic title

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July 13, 2026

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The title "Shaykh al-Islam" (Arabic: شيخ الإسلام) is an honorific title in Islam. It strictly means a venerable man over 50 years old and is often applied to religious leaders, tribal chiefs, and learned scholars.1

In the Ottoman Empire, "Shaykh al-Islam" held significant importance. It was the title of the chief judge of Constantinople and the grand mufti, holding a rank equal to the grand vizier. This official headed religious institutions and had the authority to issue binding legal opinions (fatwas), wielding considerable power over law, justice, religion, and education. The institution of Shaykh al-Islam was abolished in Turkey in 1924 with the establishment of the secular Turkish Republic.21

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mufti
…the mufti of Istanbul, the shaykh al-Islām (Turkish: şeyhülislâm), ranked as Islam’s foremost legal authority, theoretically presiding over the whole judicial and theological hierarchy. The development of civil codes in most Islamic countries, however, has tended to restrict the authority of muftis to cases involving personal status and religious custom,…
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…the mufti of Istanbul, the shaykh al-Islām (Turkish: şeyhülislâm), ranked as Islam’s foremost legal authority, theoretically presiding over the whole judicial and theological hierarchy. The development of civil codes in most Islamic countries, however, has tended to restrict the authority of muftis to cases involving personal status and religious custom,…
Read More

sheikh
…the most important title was shaykh al-islām, which by the 11th century was given to eminent ʿulamāʾ and Sufi mystics and by the 15th century was open to any outstanding mufti (canonical lawyer). In the Ottoman Empire the use of this title was restricted by Süleyman I (1520–66) to the…
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…the most important title was shaykh al-islām, which by the 11th century was given to eminent ʿulamāʾ and Sufi mystics and by the 15th century was open to any outstanding mufti (canonical lawyer). In the Ottoman Empire the use of this title was restricted by Süleyman I (1520–66) to the…
Read More