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).
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.