Shaykh al-Islām
Shaykh al-Islām (; or "Sheiklı ul-Islam") was used in the classical era as an honorific title for outstanding scholars of the Islamic sciences. It first emerged in Khurasan towards the end of the 4th Islamic century. In the central and western lands of Islam, it was an informal title given to jurists whose "fatwas" were particularly influential, while in the east it came to be conferred by rulers to "ulama" who played various official roles but were not generally "muftis". Sometimes, as in the case of Ibn Taymiyya, the use of the title was subject to controversy. In the Ottoman Empire, starting from the early modern era, the title came to designate the chief mufti, who oversaw a hierarchy of state-appointed ulama. The Ottoman Sheikh al-Islam (French spelling: cheikh-ul-islam) performed a number of functions, including advising the sultan on religious matters, legitimizing government policies, and appointing judges.