Encyclopedia of Islam

mufti

  

487  J

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individuals, but their decisions could often have 

a bearing on public life. By the 14th century, they 

were included in government ruling councils, 

together with the 

sUltan

 and provincial gover-

nors. During the era of the o

ttoman

 

dynasty

(15th–20th centuries) it became a formal govern-

ment office, also known as shaykh al-Islam, and 

was regarded as the highest-ranking position in 

the land for religious affairs. The mufti of i

stan

-

bUl

 oversaw the 

madrasa

s in the capital city and 

provided advisory opinions based on the 

sharia

to the sultan and his court. With the appearance 

of secular nation-states based on European civil 

codes, the functions of muftis became more diver-

sified. In some cases, their functions were limited 

to issues of family law (for example, marriage, 

divorce, and inheritance). Some states, such as 

e

gypt

, t

Unisia

, Oman, and p

akistan

, have desig-

nated an official known as the Grand Mufti, who 

is responsible for overseeing the religious affairs 

of the country. Some countries with Muslim 

minority populations also have such officials, but 

they are regarded as leading representatives of the 

Muslim community to state authorities, rather 

than as sources of advisory rulings based on the 

sharia. These countries include Russia, France, 

and i

srael

/p

alestine

.

See also 

fiqh

, 

ijtihad

; 

shaykh

; 

Ulama

.