Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia

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Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
مفتي عام المملكة العربية السعودية
Office of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
Style Grand Mufti
Sheikh
TypeReligious leadership / Advisory
Status Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
Member of Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Council of Senior Scholars
Nominator King of Saudi Arabia
Term length Life tenure (no fixed term)
Formation1953
First holder Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia is the most senior and most influential Muslim religious and legal authority in Saudi Arabia. The holder of the position is appointed by the King. The Grand Mufti is the head of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing Fatwas.

Contents

Role

The Grand Mufti is the most senior religious authority in the country. His main role is to give opinions ( fatwas ) on legal matters and on social affairs. [1] The Saudi court system is heavily influenced by the opinions of the Grand Mufti. [2]

History

The office was created in 1953 by King Abdul Aziz with the appointment of Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh. [3] Usually, the office of the Grand Mufti has been filled by a member of the Al ash-Sheikh (the descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab). [4] In fact, there has only ever been one Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia who was not an Al ash-Sheikh. [5] In 1969, King Faisal abolished the office of Grand Mufti and replaced it with a Ministry of Justice. The position was restored in 1993 with the appointment of Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz. [6]

The previous mufti was Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, who was appointed in 1999 by King Fahd after the death of former Grand Mufti Ibn Baz, and until his death on September 23rd 2025.

The Saudi Royal Court has officially stated the passing of the Grand Mufti on September 23, 2025. Although no official statements have been issued in this regard, it is likely to come from within the fatwa institutions, particularly the Council of Senior Scholars or the Permanent Committee for Fatwa. There is speculation about potential candidates, most notably Sheikh Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars and a member of the Al Sheikh family. Other Speculations also named Salih al‑Fawzan, Abdullah ibn Suleiman al-Manea and Saad al-Shithri as candidates. [7] A day after the death of Abdulaziz, It was reported that rumors circulated in social media Twitter that Salih ibn Humayd has been appointed the next Grand Mufti. However, neither the council nor the government confirms it. [8]

List of incumbents

See also

References

  1. ↑ Baamir, Abdulrahman Yahya (2010). Shari'a Law in Commercial and Banking Arbitration. Ashgate. p. 28. ISBN   9781409403777.
  2. ↑ Baamir, Abdulrahman Yahya (2010). Shari'a Law in Commercial and Banking Arbitration. Ashgate. p. 29. ISBN   9781409403777.
  3. ↑ Hatina, Meir (2008). Guardians of faith in modern times: ʻulamaʼ in the Middle East. BRILL. p. 221. ISBN   978-90-04-16953-1.
  4. ↑ Federal Research Division (2004). Saudi Arabia A Country Study. pp. 232–233. ISBN   978-1-4191-4621-3.
  5. ↑ AbuKhalil, Asʻad (2004). The battle for Saudi Arabia: royalty, fundamentalism, and global power. Seven Stories. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-58322-610-0.
  6. ↑ Watson, Mark (2008). Prophets and princes: Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the present. p. 328. ISBN   978-0-470-18257-4.
  7. ↑ "من هو عبد العزيز آل الشيخ مفتي السعودية الذي رحل عن عالمنا ومن أبرز المرشحين لخلافته؟" [Who is Abdulaziz Al ash-Sheikh, the Saudi Grand Mufti who passed away from our world, and who are the main candidates for his successor?]. BBC News Arabic (in Arabic). British Broadcasting Corporation. 2025-09-23. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  8. ↑ "من يخلف المفتي الراحل آل الشيخ؟ سؤال يعصف بمواقع التواصل" [Who will succeed the late Grand Mufti Al Sheikh? A question stirring social media]. alsaa.net (in Arabic). Madar Al-Sa'a News. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
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