The following is a list of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire. After the foundation of the Empire around 1300, the title of Sheikh-ul-Islam, formerly used in the Abbasid Caliphate, was given to a leader authorized to issue legal opinion or fatwa. During the reign of Sultan Murad II, (1421-1444, 1446-1451) the position became an official title, with authority over other muftis in the Empire. In the late 16th century, Shaykh al-Islam were assigned to appoint and dismiss supreme judges, high ranking college professors, and heads of Sufi orders. Prominent figures include Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi (1445-1526), Ibn-i Kemal (Kemalpasazade) (1468-1533), Ebussuud Efendi (1491-1574) and Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari (1879-1952).[1]
List
During the existence of the office (from 1424 to 1922), there were in total 131 Sheikh-ul-Islams. The longest-serving officeholder was Ebussuud Efendi for 29 years, the shortest was Memikzade Mustafa Efendi for 13 hours.[2][3]
- 1. Molla Şemseddin Fenari (1424–1430)
- 2. Molla Fahrettin Acemi (1430–1460)
- 3. Molla Hüsrev (1460–1480)
- 4. Molla Gürâni (1480–1488)
- 5. Molla Abdülkerim (1488–1495)
- 6. Alaettin Çelebi (1495–1496)
- 7. Efdalzade Hamidettin (1496–1503)
- 8. Zenbilli Muhammed Ali Effendi ben Ahmad ben Muhammad El Cemali (1503-1526) شيخ الإسلام أبي محمد بن أحمد بن محمد الجمالي
- 9. Kemalpaşazade Ahmet Şemsettin Efendi (Ibn-i Kemal) (1526–1534)
- 10. Sadullah Sadi Efendi (1534–1539)
- 11. Çivizade Muhittin Mehmet Efendi (1539–1542)
- 12. Hamidi Abdülkadir Efendi (1542–1543)
- 13. Fenerizade Muhittin Efendi (1543–1545)
- 14. Ebussuud Efendi (1545–1574)
- 15. Hamit Mahmut Efendi (1574–1577)
- 16. Kadızade Ahmet Şemsettin Efendi (1577–1580)
- 17. Malulzade Mehmet Efendi (1580–1582)
- 18. Çivizade Hacı Mehmet Efendi (1582–1587)
- 19. Müeyyetzade Abdülkadir Efendi (1587–1589)
- 20. Bostanzade Mehmet Efendi (1589–1592)
- 21. Bayramzade Hacı Zekeriya Efendi (1592–1593)
- Bostanzade Mehmet Efendi (1593–1598), 2nd time
- 22. Hoca Sadeddin Efendi (1598–1599)
- 23. Hacı Mustafa Sunullah Efendi (1599–1601)
- 24. Hocasadettinzade Mehmet Çelebi Efendi (1601–1603)
- Hacı Mustafa Sunullah Efendi (1603), 2nd time
- 25. Ebülmeyamin Mustafa Efendi (1603–1604)
- Hacı Mustafa Sunullah Efendi (1604–1606), 3rd time
- Ebülmeyamin Mustafa Efendi (1606), 2nd time
- Hacı Mustafa Sunullah Efendi (1606–1608), 4th time
- Hocasadettinzade Mehmet Çelebi Efendi (1608–1615), 2nd term
- 26. Hocazade Esad Efendi (1615–1622)
- 27. Zekeriyazade Yahya Efendi (1622–1623)
- Hocazade Esad Efendi (1623–1625), 2nd time
- Zekeriyazade Yahya Efendi (1625–1632), 2nd time
- 28. Ahizade Hüseyin Efendi (1632–1634)
- Zekeriyazade Yahya Efendi (1634–1644), 3rd time
- 29. Esatpaşazade Ebu Sait Mehmet Efendi (1644–1646)
- 30. Muid Ahmet Efendi (1646–1647)
- 31. Hacı Abdürrahim Efendi (1647–1649)
- 32. Bahai Mehmet Efendi (1649–1651)
- 33. Karaçelebizade Abdülaziz Efendi (1651)
- 34. Esatefendizade Ebu Sait Mehmet Efendi (1651–1652)
- Bahai Mehmet Efendi (1652–1654), 2nd term
- Esatefendizade Ebu Sait Mehmet Efendi (1654–1655), 2nd time
- 35. Hüsamzade Abdurrahman Efendi (1655–1656)
- 36. Memikzade Mustafa Efendi (1656)
- 37. Hocazade Mesut Efendi (1656)
- 38. Hanefi Mehmet Efendi (1656)
- 39. Balizade Mustafa Efendi (1656–1657)
- 40. Bolevi Mustafa Efendi (1657–1659)
- 41. Esiri Mehmet Efendi (1659–1662)
- 42. Sunizade Seyit Mehmet Emin Efendi (1662)
- 43. Minkarizade Yahya Efendi (1662–1674)
- 44. Çatalcalı Ali Efendi (1674–1686)
- 45. Ankaravi Mehmet Emin Efendi (1686–1687)
- 46. Debbağzade Mehmet Efendi (1687–1688)
- 47. Hacı Feyzullah Efendi (1688)
- Debbağzade Mehmet Efendi (1688–1690), 2nd time
- 48. Ebusaitzade Feyzullah Feyzi Efendi (1690–1692)
- Çatalcalı Ali Efendi (1692), 2nd time
- Ebusaitzade Feyzullah Feyzi Efendi (1692–1694), 2nd time
- 49. Sadık Mehmet Efendi (1694–1695)
- 50. İmam Mehmet Efendi (1695)
- Hacı Feyzullah Efendi (1695–1703), 2nd time
- 51. Paşmakçızade Seyit Ali Efendi (1703)
- 52. Yekçeşm Hüseyin Efendi (1703)
- İmam Mehmet Efendi (1703–1704), 2nd time
- Paşmakçızade Seyit Ali Efendi (1704–1707), 2nd term
- Sadık Mehmet Efendi (1707–1708), 2nd time
- 53. Ebezade Abdullah Efendi (1708–1710)
- Paşmakçızade Seyit Ali Efendi (1710–1712), 3rd term
- Ebezade Abdullah Efendi (1712–1713), 2nd term
- 54. Mehmet Ataullah Efendi (1713)
- 55. İmam Mahmut Efendi (1713–1714)
- 56. Mirza Mustafa Efendi (1714–1715)
- 57. Menteşzade Abdürrahman Efendi (1715–1716)
- 58. Ebu İshak İsmail Naim Efendi (1716–1718)
- 59. Yenişehirli Abdullah Efendi (1718–1730)
- 60. Mirzazade Şeyh Mehmet Efendi (1730–1731)
- 61. Paşmakçızade Abdullah Efendi (1731–1732)
- 62. Damatzade Ebulhayr Ahmet Efendi (1732–1733)
- 63. Ebuishakzade İshak Efendi (1733–1734)
- 64. Dürri Mehmet Efendi (1734–1736)
- 65. Seyit Mustafa Efendi (1736–1745)
- 66. Pirizade Mehmet Sahip Efendi (1745–1746)
- 67. Hayatizade Mehmet Emin Efendi (1746)
- 68. Seyit Mehmet Zeynelabidin Efendi (1746–1748)
- 69. Ebuishakzade Mehmet Esat Efendi (1748–1749)
- 70. Mehmet Sait Efendi (1749–1750)
- 71. Seyit Murtaza Efendi (1750–1755)
- 72. Abdullah Vassaf Efendi (1755)
- 73. Damatzade Feyzullah Efendi (1755–1756)
- 74. Dürrizade Mustafa Efendi (1756–1757)
- Damatzade Feyzullah Efendi (1757–1758), 2nd term
- 75. Mehmet Salih Efendi (1758–1759)
- 76. Çelebizade İsmail Asım Efendi (1759–1760)
- 77. Hacı Veliyettin Efendi (1760–1761)
- 78. Tirevi Ahmet Efendi (1761–1762)
- Dürrizade Mustafa Efendi (1762–1767), 2nd time
- Hacı Veliyettin Efendi (1767–1768), 2nd time
- 79. Pirizade Osman Sahip Efendi (1768–1770)
- 80. Mirzazade Seyit Mehmet Sait Efendi (1770–1773)
- 81. Şerifzade Seyit Mehmet Şerif Efendi (1773–1774)
- Dürrizade Mustafa Efendi (1774), 3rd time
- 82. İvazpaşazade İbrahim Bey Efendi (1774–1775)
- 83. Salihzade Mehmet Emin Efendi (1775–1776)
- 84. Vassafzade Mehmet Esat Efendi (1776–1778)
- 85. Mehmet Şerif Efendi (1778–1782)
- 86. Seyit İbrahim Efendi (1782–1783)
- 87. Dürrizade Seyit Mehmet Ataullah Efendi (1783–1785)
- İvazpaşazade İbrahim Bey Efendi (1785), 2nd time
- 88. Arapzade Ahmet Ataullah Efendi (1785)
- 89. Dürrizade Seyit Mehmet Arif Efendi (1785–1786)
- 90. Müftizade Ahmet Efendi (1786–1787)
- 91. Mekki Mehmet Efendi (1787–1788)
- 92. Seyit Mehmet Kamil Efendi (1788–1789)
- Mehmet Şerif Efendi (1789), 2nd time
- 93. Hamitzade Mustafa Efendi (1789–1791)
- 94. Seyit Yahya Tevfik Efendi (1791)
- Mekki Mehmet Efendi (1791–1792), 2nd time
- Dürrizade Seyit Mehmet Arif Efendi (1792–1798), 2nd time
- 95. Mustafa Aşir Efendi (1798–1800)
- 96. Sâmânizade Ömer Hulusi Efendi (1800–1803)
- 97. Salihzade Ahmet Esat Efendi (1803–1806)
- 98. Şerifzade Mehmet Ataullah Efendi (1806–1807)
- Sâmânizade Ömer Hulusi Efendi (1807), 2nd time
- Şerifzade Mehmet Ataullah Efendi (1807–1808), 2nd time
- 99. Arapzade Mehmet Arif Efendi (1808)
- Salihzade Ahmet Esat Efendi (1808), 2nd time
- 100. Dürrizade Seyit Abdullah Efendi (1808–1810)
- Sâmânizade Ömer Hulusi Efendi (1810–1812), 3rd time
- Dürrizade Seyit Abdullah Efendi (1812–1815), 2nd time
- 101. Mehmet Zeynelabidin Efendi (1815–1818)
- 102. Mekkizade Mustafa Asım Efendi (1818–1819)
- 103. Hacı Halil Efendi (1819–1821)
- 104. Yasincizade Abdülvehhap Efendi (1821–1822)
- 105. Sıtkızade Ahmet Reşit Efendi (1822–1823)
- Mekkizade Mustafa Asım Efendi (1823–1825), 2nd time
- 106. Kadızade Mehmet Tahir Efendi (1825–1828)
- Yasincizade Abdülvehhap Efendi (1828–1833), 2nd time
- Mekkizade Mustafa Asım Efendi (1833–1846), 3rd time
- 107. Ahmet Arif Hikmet Bey Efendi (1846–1854)
- 108. Meşrepzade Mehmet Arif Efendi (1854–1858)
- 109. Seyit Mehmet Sadettin Efendi (1858–1863)
- 110. Atıfzade Ömer Hüsamettin Efendi (1863–1866)
- 111. Hacı Mehmet Refik Efendi (1866–1868)
- 112. Hasan Fehmi Efendi (1868–1871)
- 113. Ahmed Muhtar Molla Bey Efendi (1871–1872)
- 114. Turşucuzade Ahmet Muhtar Efendi (1872–1874)
- 115. Hasan Hayrullah Efendi (1874)
- Hasan Fehmi Efendi (1874–1876), 2nd time
- Hasan Hayrullah Efendi (1876–1877), 2nd time
- 116. Kara Halil Efendi (1877–1878)
- Ahmed Muhtar Molla Bey Efendi (1878), 2nd time
- 117. Uryanizade Ahmed Esad Efendi (1878–1889)
- 118. Bodrumlu Ömer Lütfi Efendi (1889–1891)
- 119. Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi (1891–1909)
- 120. Mehmet Ziyaettin Efendi [tr] (1909)
- 121. Mehmet Sahip Molla Bey Efendi [tr] (1909)
- 122. Çelebizade Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi [tr] (1910)
- 123. Musa Kazım Efendi [tr] (1910–1911)
- 124. Abdurrahman Nesip Efendi [tr] (1911–1912)
- Mehmet Cemaleddin Efendi (1912–1913), 2nd time
- 125. Mehmet Esat Efendi (1913–1914)
- 126. Ürgüplü Mustafa Hayri Efendi (1914–1916)
- Musa Kazım Efendi (1916–1918), 2nd time
- 127. Ömer Hulusi Efendi (1918)
- 128. Haydarizade İbrahim Efendi (1918–1919)
- 129. Mustafa Sabri Efendi (1919)
- Haydarizade İbrahim Efendi (1919–1920), 2nd time
- 130. Dürrizade Abdullah Efendi (1920)
- Mustafa Sabri Efendi (1920), 2nd time
- 131. Medeni Mehmet Nuri Efendi (1920–1922)
