Shaykh al-Islām

Shaykh al - Islām (Arabic شيخ الإسلام also: Scheichülislam, Scheichulislam, Scheikulislam, Sheikh ul- Islam, Şeyhülislam, Şeyh -ul islam ) is an honorific Islamic religious scholars, which is in use since the 10th century. In the Ottoman Empire, he was the title for the Mufti of the capital ( from 1453 Istanbul), which represented the supreme religious authority of the state at the same time.

Ottoman Empire

The first Scheichülislam was 1424 and the last Mullah Fenari 1922 medeni Nuri Efendi. Thus a continuity result of nearly 500 years.

As an outstanding example Amtsinhalber were

• Zekeriyazade Yahya
• Alī Efendi
• Mustafa Sabri
• Musa Efendi Kâzım
• Mehmet Efendi Abu Saud
• Ibn -i Kemal

Rashid Rida criticized in a study published in 1901, writing that the title of " Shaykh al - Islām " an invention of kings and emirs was who had himself had no connection with religion and this item would only introduced so to impress the uneducated masses.

The Young Turks restricted from 1916, this system largely a. After the founding of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1920, the Office " Sheikh ul- Islam" (ve Evkaf Vekaleti Şeriye ) was located until 1924 at the Ministry of Shariah and Foundations. The sheikh had to appoint the task of the chief qadi ( judge).

Due to the separation of religion and state in Turkey, the Ministry was abolished. As a successor of the " Bureau of Religious Affairs " ( Diyanet ) was established, which sees itself as a successor to the Scheichülislam in a secular state.

Outside of the Ottoman Empire

In other States the supreme mufti is titled still occasionally referred to as Sheikh- ul- Islam, for example, currently Allahşükür Paşazadə in Russia or the Caucasus or the Chula Raja Montri in Thailand.

Even in the days of the Soviet Union was the chief mufti of Baku the title of Sheikh- ul- Islam, as a sign that even Shiites live in his area.