Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia

Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
مفتي عام المملكة العربية السعودية
since 22 October 2025
Office of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
Style
TypeReligious leadership / Advisory
StatusGrand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
Member of
AppointerKing of Saudi Arabia
Term lengthLife tenure (no fixed term)
Formation1953 (1953) (abolished 1969; restored 1993)
First holderMohammed bin Ibrahim

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia[a] is the highest-ranking and most influential religious and legal authority in Saudi Arabia. The position is appointed by the King of Saudi Arabia. The Grand Mufti serves as the head of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Ifta.[1][2]

Role

The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia serves as the highest-ranking religious authority in the country and serves as the leading figure in issuing religious legal opinions (fatwas) on a wide range of legal, social, and ethical matters.[3][4] His interpretations and rulings carry significant weight within the Saudi Judicial system, which is largely based on Islamic law (Sharia).[5]

The Grand Mufti also serves as chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, the Kingdom's highest religious body. He also heads the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, which oversees the preparation and issuance of official fatwas and conducts scholarly research on Islamic jurisprudence and theology.[6][7]

History

The office of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia was established in 1953 by King Abdulaziz, with Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al ash-Sheikh appointed as the first Grand Mufti.[8] Historically, the position was held by members of the Al ash-Sheikh family, descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab,[9] with the exception of Ibn Baz.[10] In 1969, King Faisal abolished the office of Grand Mufti and replaced it with Ministry of Justice and Council of Senior Scholars.[11][12] The position was reinstated in 1993 with the appointment of Ibn Baz as the second Grand Mufti.[13]

After the death of Ibn Baz in 1999, King Fahd appointed Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, a member of the Al ash-Sheikh family, who served as Grand Mufti from 1999 until his death on 23 September 2025.[14]

On 22 October 2025, King Salman appointed Salih al‑Fawzan as the fourth Grand Mufti.[15][16][6][17]

List of incumbents

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–death)
(age) 		Tenure
Started–Ended Duration
1 – Mohammed bin Ibrahim
(1890–1969)
(age 79) 		1953–1969 16 years
Vacant 24 years
2 – Ibn Baz
(1912–1999)
(age 87) 		1993–1999 5 years, 306 days
3 Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh
(1943–2025)
(age 82) 		1999–2025 26 years, 101 days
4 Salih al‑Fawzan
(born 1935)
(age 90) 		22 October 2025 60 days

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Arabic: مفتي عام المملكة العربية السعودية, romanized: Muftī ʿĀmm al-Mamlakah al-ʿArabiyyah as-Suʿūdiyyah

References

  1. ^ Riyadh, Vivian NereimReporting from; Arabia, Saudi (23 September 2025). "Saudi Grand Mufti, an Archconservative in a Changing Kingdom, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  2. ^ Judiciary, United States Congress Senate Committee on the (2007). Saudi Arabia: Friend Or Foe in the War on Terror? : Hearing Before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session, November 8, 2005. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-16-078466-8.
  3. ^ Baamir, Abdulrahman Yahya (2010). Shari'a Law in Commercial and Banking Arbitration. Ashgate. p. 28. ISBN 9781409403777.
  4. ^ Oualaalou, David (30 October 2018). Beneath the Veil Fall of the House of Saud. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-5462-5851-3.
  5. ^ Baamir, Abdulrahman Yahya (2010). Shari'a Law in Commercial and Banking Arbitration. Ashgate. p. 29. ISBN 9781409403777.
  6. ^ a b "Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan appointed Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia". Arab News. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Saudi Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan bin Abdullah Al-Fawzan as new Grand Mufti". The Times of India. 26 October 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  8. ^ Hatina, Meir (2008). Guardians of faith in modern times: ʻulamaʼ in the Middle East. BRILL. p. 221. ISBN 978-90-04-16953-1.
  9. ^ Federal Research Division (2004). Saudi Arabia A Country Study. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-1-4191-4621-3.
  10. ^ AbuKhalil, Asʻad (2004). The battle for Saudi Arabia: royalty, fundamentalism, and global power. Seven Stories. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-58322-610-0.
  11. ^ Wynbrandt, James (1 May 2021). A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, Third Edition. Infobase Holdings, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4381-9954-2.
  12. ^ Wilson, Peter W.; Graham, Douglas F. (16 September 2016). Saudi Arabia: The Coming Storm: The Coming Storm. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-28699-0.
  13. ^ Watson, Mark (2008). Prophets and princes: Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the present. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-470-18257-4.
  14. ^ "Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has passed away: Royal Court". Al Arabiya English. 23 September 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Saudi Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as kingdom's new grand mufti". Associated Press. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan named Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia". Saudigazette. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  17. ^ Maisah (22 October 2025). "Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan Appointed New Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia". The Islamic Information. Retrieved 17 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Champion, Daryl (2003). The Paradoxical Kingdom: Saudi Arabia and the Momentum of Reform. C. Hurst. ISBN 978-1-85065-647-0.
  19. ^ Anishchenkova, Valerie (1 June 2020). Modern Saudi Arabia. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-11873-2.
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