Grand Mufti of India

The **Grand Mufti of India** is the most influential religious authority of the Sunni Muslim community of India. The current holder is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, who has been in the position since March 2019.

## Role

His role is to give fatwas, opinions on Islamic legal matters and social affairs.

### Mughal period

The first Grand Mufti of India, Shah Fazle Rasool Badayuni, was chosen by the final Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

### British Raj

During the British Raj, Islamic scholars noted Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi as the spiritual leader of Indian Muslims. Thousands of students liked the work of the scholar and revivalist and requested him to become Grand Mufti, but he declined. Instead, his student Amjad Ali Aazmi was elected.

## List of Grand Muftis of India

|width="3%"|No.|width="30%"|Name (birth–death)|width="10%"|Madhhab|width="10%"|Place|class="unsortable" width="20%"|Other works & activities|class="unsortable" width="72%"|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|*  ( - ) <small>ملا عبد القادر بدایونی (Arabic & Urdu)</small>|Hanafi|Badaun|Author of Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh (Arabic)|The Mughal emperor, Akbar, appointed him to the Muftiate in 1574, where he spent much of his career.|||||||
|5|*  ( - ) <small>شاہ فضلِ رسول قادری بدایونی (Urdu, his native language), شاه فضل رسول قدري بدایونی (Arabic)</small>|Hanafi|Badaun|Author of Tarikhi-Fatwa (Urdu)|Badayuni was appointed by the final Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.|||||||
|6|*  ( - ) <small>صدر الشريعہ مفتى محمد امجد على اعظمى (Urdu, his native language), مفتى أمجد على أعظمى (Arabic)</small>|Hanafi|Bareilly|Author of Bahar-e-Shariat (Urdu)||||||||
|7|*  ( - ) <small>مصطفٰی رضا خان قادری نوری (Urdu, his native language), مصطفى رضا خان القادري النوري (Arabic)</small>|Hanafi|Bareilly|Author of Fatawa Mustawafiyah (Arabic)||||||||
|8|*  ( - ) <small>تاج الشریعہ اختر رضا خان (Urdu, his native language), مفتي اختر رضا خان (Arabic)</small>|Hanafi|Bareilly|Founder of Jamiatur Raza and Author of Fatawa Taajush Shariah (Arabic)||||||||
|9|* Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (1970) <small>ശൈഖ് അബൂബക്ർ അഹ്‌മദ്‌ (Malayalam, his native language), </small> الشيخ أبوبكر أحمد <small>(Arabic)</small>|Shafi'i|Kozhikode|General Secretary of **All India Muslim Scholars Association**||||||||

## Other websites

- Profile of the Grand Mufti at World Sufi Forum's website

## Infobox (institute)

- **name**: Grand Mufti of India
- **image**: Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad (cropped).jpg
- **other name**: *Office of the Grand Mufti of India
- **caption**: Current Grand Mufti of India
- **founder**: Mughal Empire
- **head label**: Grand Mufti
- **head**: Sheikh abubkr ahmad
- **key people**: Sunni muslim
- **subsidiaries**: Office of Mufti
- **location**: Delhi
- **city**: Kozhikode
- **state**: Kerala
- **country**: India


## Infobox (official post)

- **post**: Grand Mufti of India
- **imagesize**: Sheikh abubakr ahmad
- **incumbent**: Sheikh abubakr ahmad
- **incumbentsince**: 31 March 2019
- **style**: Grand mufti india
- **unofficial names**: Musliyar
- **member of**: Sunni Muslim Community of India
- **seat**: Delhi
- **residence**: Kozhikode
- **department**: Office of the Grand Mufti of India
- **formation**: Mughal Empire
- **termlength**: No fixed term
- **inaugural**: ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni
- **name**: Sheikh abubakr ahmad