List of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire

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 al-Kawthari (1879-1952).

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.


 * 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 (1909)
 * 121. Mehmet Sahip Molla Bey Efendi (1909)
 * 122. Çelebizade Hüseyin Hüsnü Efendi (1910)
 * 123. Musa Kazım Efendi (1910–1911)
 * 124. Abdurrahman Nesip Efendi (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)