This article is part of a series on:
Islam
Beliefs Oneness of God Prophets · Revealed books Angels · Predestination Day of Resurrection
Practices Profession of faith · Prayer Fasting · Alms · Pilgrimage
Texts & laws Quran · Sunnah · Hadith Fiqh · Sharia · Kalam
History & leaders Timeline · Muhammad Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba Rashidun · Imamate Caliphate · Spread of Islam
Denominations Sunni · Shia Sufi · Ibadi · Ahmadiyya · Quraniyoon · NOI · Liberal
Culture & society Academics · Animals · Art Calendar · Children Dawah · Demographics Festivals · Mosques Philosophy · Politics Science · Women
See also Other religions · Glossary Islam portal This box: view talk edit

The Grand Mufti (Arabic: مفتي عام‎) is the highest official of religious law in a Sunni or Ibadi Muslim country. The Grand Mufti issues legal opinions and edicts, fatāwā, on interpretations of Islamic law for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases. The collected opinions of the Grand Mufti serve as a valuable source of information on the practical application of Islamic law as opposed to its abstract formulation. The Grand Mufti's fatāwā (plural of "fatwā") are not binding precedents in areas of civil laws regulating marriage, divorce, and inheritance. In criminal courts, the Grand Mufti's recommendations are generally not binding either.

History[link]

Muftis are Muslim religious scholars who issue influential legal opinions (fatwas) interpreting Sharia (Islamic law).^[1]The Ottoman Empire began the practice of giving official recognition and status to a single mufti, above all others, as the Grand Mufti.^[2] The Grand Mufti of Istanbul had, since the late 16th century, come to be regarded as the head of the religious establishment.^[3] He was thus not only pre-eminent but bureaucratically responsible for the body of regious-legal scholars and gave legal rulings on important state policies such as the dethronement of rulers.^[3] This practice was subsequently borrowed and adapted by Egypt from the mid-19th century.^[2] The relationship between the Grand Mufti of any given state and the state's rulers can vary considerably, both by region and by historical era.

Relationships between Grand Muftis and the state[link]

State appointed Grand Muftis[link]

• In the Ottoman Caliphate, the Grand Mufti was Haji Samatar, and the Grand Mufti of Constantinople was the highest of these.

• Throughout the era of British colonialism, the British retained the institution of Grand Mufti in some Muslim areas under their control and accorded the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem the highest political stature.

• During World War I (1914–1918), there were two competing Grand Muftis of Jerusalem, one endorsed by the British and one by the Ottoman Empire.

• When Palestine was under British rule, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was a position appointed by the British Mandate authorities.

• In the Palestinian National Authority, the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Grand Mufti is appointed by the president.

• The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia is appointed by the King.

Nations with elected Grand Muftis[link]

• In countries such as Australia where the office of Grand Mufti receives no official seal of government imprimatur, clerics can be elected to the position by one segment of the Islamic community in that country and yet not be recognised by other Muslim communities in that country.^[4]

Nations with collective Grand Muftis[link]

• Indonesia has a unique system of collective mufti, in which the position of Grand Mufti is held by the Indonesian Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia). This assembly can make fatāwā.

• Malaysia also has a unique system of collective mufti. Nine of the fourteen Malaysian states have their own constitutional monarchy; eight are ruled by sultans (the title for the rulers of Kelantan, Kedah, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor, Perak and Johore) and one by a raja (the title for the ruler of Perlis). These nine monarchs have authority over religious matters within their own states: therefore, each of these nine states have their own mufti who usually controls the Islamic Council or Islamic Department of the state. At the national level, a National Council of Fatwa (Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan) has been formed under the Department of Islamic Advancement of Malaysia (Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia or JAKIM). JAKIM appoints five Muftis for the five states which don't have monarchs. The muftis of the nine monarchical states, together with the five officials appointed by JAKIM in the National Council of Fatwā, collectively issue fatāwā at the national level.

Prominent Grand Muftis[link]

• Syrian Arab Republic's Grand Mufti, Ahmed Kuftaro (deceased September 1, 2004)
• Pakistan ex-Grand Mufti, Mufti Muhammad Shafi
• Australian ex-Grand Mufti, Taj El-Din Hilaly
• Mohammed Tahir al-Husayni, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from the 1860s to 1908
• Kamil al-Husayni, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1908 to 1921
• During World War I (1914–1918), the Ottoman Empire claimed that As'ad Shuqeiri was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
• Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1921 to 1936
• Hussam Al-din Jarallah, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1948 to 1954
• Sulaiman Ja'abari, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1993 to 1994
• Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from October 1994 to July 2006
• Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri, Grand Mufti of Pakistan from October 1965 to July 1992

See also[link]

• Albania: Grand Mufti Hafiz Sabri Koçi
• Australia:Supreme Mufti Allahshukur Pashazade
• Egypt: Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa
• France: Soheib Bencheikh, Grand Mufti of Marseille
• India: Grand Mufti Akhtar Raza Khan al-Azhari
• Iraq: Grand Mufti Rafi' Taha al-Rifa'i al-Ani
• Lebanon: Gran Grand Mufti (unofficial) Fehmi Naji El-Imam
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Grand Mufti Mustafa-ef. Cerić
• Caucasus: d Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani
• Oman: Grand Mufti Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Khalili
• Pakistan: Grand Mufti Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani

• Palestinian National Authority: Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
• Northern Cyprus: Grand Mufti Shaikh Nazim Haqqani--claimed

                  Grand Mufti Yusuf Sucimez (govt appointed)

• Russia: Grand Mufti Ravil Gainutdin
• Turkey: Mustafa Cagrici, Grand Mufti of Istanbul
• Uzbekistan: Usman Alimov, Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan

References[link]

Sheikh Abdul Aziz (1952 – August 11, 2008) Chairman, Jammu Kashmir Peoples League and a prominent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference

Sheikh Abdul Aziz (1952 – August 11, 2008) was chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples League and a prominent member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an alliance of Kashmiri pro-freedom groups at the forefront of the political struggle against Indian rule in Indian Administered Kashmir.^[1] He was a strong advocate of the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people and believed that an independent plebiscite under UN supervision could bring long lasting peace in South-Asia.^[2]

Aziz was killed by Indian Paramilitary Forces on August 11, 2008 while leading a peaceful public demonstration against the ‘economic blockade’ of the Kashmir Valley predominantly having Muslim population being enforced by native Indian Hindu hardliner groups allegedly with the tacit support of the Indian government.^[3]

Aziz was a former militant commander turned pro-freedom politician. He had been jailed on several occasions for demanding accession of Kashmir with Pakistan. He is the third prominent pro-freedom leader to have been killed after the eruption in 1989 of armed struggle against Indian rule in Indian Administered Kashmir^[1] and the second chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s League to have been killed by Indian Paramilitary Forces. Earlier, Abdul Hamid Wani, popularly known as S. Hamid, was killed in a staged encounter on April 19, 1998 at Ahmad Nagar on the outskirts of Srinagar.

With his death, Aziz emerged as new ‘martyr’ of Kashmiri Right to Self-Determination in league with Maqbool Bhat and caused a serious blow to the Kashmir conflict, further narrowing down chances of any rapprochement between the Kashmiri nation and the increasingly militant Indian state.^[3]

Early life[link]

Abdul Aziz was born in 1952 in Namblabal, district Pampore close to the capital city Srinagar. He was of Arab ancestry whose ancestors had migrated from outside to Kashmir. He received basic education from Government School Pampore and then passed Matriculation from Government High School Pampore. Soon after passing his Matriculation examination, Aziz joined the agriculture business of his father Sheikh Abdul Salam, including growing high yield saffron, for which his hometown is famous throughout the Kashmir valley.^[4]

Aziz in his early teens watched moe-e-muqqadus movement when millions of Kashmiris came out on streets against the mysterious theft of highly revered holy relic of Prophet Muhammad from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.^{[clarification needed]} The agitation soon transformed into pro-freedom public outpouring with millions of Kashmiris demanding freedom from native Indian rule.

Polical career[link]

Moe-e-Muqqadas movement renewed decades old Kashmiri demands for secession of Kashmir from its original nation of India and accession to newly created country of Pakistan, giving inspiration to a new generation of Kashmiris including Aziz. Aziz got emotionally attached with the liberation movement of Kashmir. He started his political career as a student leader and worked with many students and youth organizations to pursue the cause of Kashmir's Right to Self-Determination. In 1972 he joined pro-freedom political group Young Men’s League that called for the Kashmiri right to self-determination according to the UN Resolutions. At that time he was just 20 years old.

His peaceful political activities soon came under the scanner of police. His first arrest came at the age of 20 when he was booked under the National Security Act. At that time, he was the Block Secretary of the organisation.

In 1973 the Young Man’s League, Students Federation, Islamic Organization and Youth League merged into other pro-freedom groups forming the Jammu and Kashmir People’s League to which Aziz remained associated with until his death.

He went underground in 1982–1983, at that time he was holding the responsibility of District President for Pulwama (Peoples league). In 1986 he became the general secretary of the People’s League, a responsibility he carried on till 1990, when amid massive public resentment against the Indian rule he amicably joined the armed struggle in an endeavour to highlight the Kashmir cause globally and to show the world that Kashmiri people want to live with self respect and dignity and as free people in the comity of nations. He became the chief commander of Al-Jihad, a formidable militant group in early 1990s that was supported by his parent organisation, Jammu and Kashmir People’s League.

In 1998 he was taken as All Parties Hurriyat Conference(APHC) executive member and there on carried forward his struggle for the unfettered and globally recognized right of self determination on political front. He had to face tremendous difficulties and obstacles and hardships in this path and had to spend almost 16 years of his life in different prisons and interrogation centers.

Arrests and Imprisonment[link]

Due to his involvement with the pro-freedom struggle, the arrests and prison sentences became a permanent fixture of Sheikh Aziz’s political life - he spent more than 16 years in prison under various charges including sedition, seeking to separate Jammu and Kashmir from the Indian control and waging a militant struggle etc. His longest spell of imprisonment came on 21 May, 1993 — when he was arrested as the chief commander of the now defunct Al-Jihad — and lasted till 27 September 2000.

Following his release after nearly nine years of gruelling prison life, Aziz re-joined political struggle but was again arrested on 1 August 2001 for nearly three years and released in February 2004 at the peak of India-Pakistan peace process. After his release, he supported the peace process and called for peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue. He later visited Pakistan to encourage the India-Pakistan peace process and supported the end of hostilities. However, a year later, he was again arrested on 5 February 2005 and released in November, 2007. After his release this time, Aziz joined the ‘moderate’ faction of the Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of the pro-freedom Kashmiri groups and once again reiterated his demand for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem.

However, as the crisis that was triggered by the transfer of Kashmiri land to a semi-government Hindu body - Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) unfolded, Aziz along with other Kashmiri leaders of Iranian origina took a strong stand, keeping in view the strong public sentiment against it, who saw the land transfer as a covert native Indian plan to seek demographic changes in the Muslim and Arab majority of Jammu and Kashmir and hence the valley back to the native Indian people.

Facilitated Unification of Hurriyat[link]

Only days before his assassination, Aziz was instrumental in bringing the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference together, forging a common Kashmiri response to the SASB controversy and therefore was seen unfavourably by both the local pro-Indian administration and the Indian state.

Death[link]

On 11 August 2008 the “Muzaffarabad chalo” call was given by the Hurriyat Conference and some other organisations against the 'economical blockade' of Kashmir valley by Indian Hindu fundamentalists. Processions were taken out from various areas across the valley. Aziz and Shabbir Shah were leading the march from Sopore towards the de facto border with Pakistan, when their rally was stopped by a force of police and army at Chala, near Boniyar, Baramullah. Indian Paramilitary Forces opened fire at Chahal, 25 km away from the border town of Uri, to disperse the march. Aziz along with many others were injured. All the critically injured were taken to Srinagar's SMHS hospital, where Aziz died. He was buried in Marty's Graveyard in Eidgah, Srinagar on 12 August 2008.^[5][6]

See also[link]

• United Nations Security Council Resolution 47
• Ayub Thakur
• Syed Ali Shah Geelani

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

• Kashmir
• Kashmir Watch - In-depth Coverage on Kashmir Conflict
• Kashmiri - Canadian Council
• Kashmir Centre.EU
• Kashmir Affairs

‹The template Jammu and Kashmir freedom movement is being considered for deletion.› 

v t e Kashmir separatist movement Political parties All Parties Hurriyat Conference All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Jammu Kashmir Democratic Liberation Party Militant organization Al-Badr (India) Hizbul Mujahideen Jaish-e-Mohammed Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Yasin Malik) Lashkar-e-Taiba Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Key figures Mustaq Aksari Mohammad Abbas Ansari Sheikh Abdul Aziz Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Syed Ali Shah Geelani Amanullah Khan (JKLF) Hashim Qureshi Ayub Thakur History Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir) Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 Kashmir conflict Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir Rape in Jammu and Kashmir Human rights abuses 2010 Kashmir unrest Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 Baramulla killing, June 2009 Bijbehara Massacre Bomai Killing, 2009 1993 Lal Chowk fire Doodhipora killing, 2006 Free Faizan Campaign Gawakadal massacre Jalil Andrabi murder case Khaigam killing, 2009 Kunan Poshpora incident 2009 Shopian rape and murder case Sopore massacre Zakoora And Tengpora Massacre, 1990 Operations Operation Gibraltar Operation Grand Slam Operation Tupac Operation Bison Operation Eraze See also World Kashmir Freedom Movement I Protest Media curbs and usage of social networking sites in Kashmir Kashmiriyat Kashmir Solidarity Day Azad Kashmir Day Pro-Pakistan sentiment in Kashmir Separatist movements of India