Great mufti

The Islamic title of great mufti is applied to the most important of the Mufti or interpreters of Sharia or Islamic law. It is, in other words, the greatest legal authority in a given territory. Of course, only in areas governed by Islamic law: it has no authority in the field of secular civil law and usually does not have it in criminal proceedings either.

The title is typical of Sunni Islam. The great mufti pronounces resolutions or fatwas on Islamic legislation at the request of the political authorities, Islamic institutions, courts or individuals. The set of fatwas of a great mufti can serve as a guide for the practical application of Islamic law, which in many places is considered abstract.

In the Ottoman Empire the figure of the great mufti enjoyed, as in other Islamic states to this day, legal recognition. At the head of the great muftis of the empire was the great mufti of Constantinople. The United Kingdom, having mandates granted by the League of Nations over Middle Eastern territories that had been under Ottoman power (British Mandate of Mesopotamia and British Mandate of Palestine), maintained the figure of the great mufti putting at his head the one of Jerusalem.

In many States (Islamic majority or not) there is a large mufti recognized by the authorities. In countries where such recognition is not given, it may happen that the great mufti is elected by one part of the Muslim community while another party does not consider itself bound by its rulings. They have large muftis officially recognized countries of population mainly Muslim like France or Russia, among others. An example of a large mufti without official recognition is that of Australia and New Zealand.

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