The Grand Mufti of Australia is a
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Muslim cleric, or
Grand Mufti
The Grand Mufti (also called Chief Mufti, State Mufti and Supreme Mufti) is the head of regional muftis, Islamic jurisconsults, of a state. The office originated in the early modern era in the Ottoman empire and has been later adopted in a num ...
, chosen to represent and answer questions from the growing Muslim population.
Nominated by the
Australian National Imams Council
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) was formed in 2006 during a meeting of more than 80 Sunni imams which had gathered to discuss the crisis created by comments made by Taj El-Din Hilaly. In 2011, they requested that the Darulfatwa-sup ...
(ANIC), the current Grand Mufti of Australia since 2018 is
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed. Mohammed previously held the position from 2011–2018, and became Grand Mufti again after his successor,
Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi died in office after a four-month tenure.
ANIC's vision with the Grand Mufti was to unite the Australian
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic community under a single leader and promote harmony and integration between
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s and non-Muslims.
The Mufti has a responsibility to issue
fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
s, which are formal verdicts regarding Islamic law, in response to a question posed by a private individual or judge.
The practicality of a Grand Mufti in Australia has been criticised by scholars such as Abdalla (2011),
who states that a singular mufti only offers the mainstream interpretation of Islam, and that this is unrepresentative of the diverse Australian Islamic community. He proposes the formation of a council of
imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
s from different traditions such as
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
,
Zaidi and
Ismaili
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
, and specialists in medicine, law and finance, stating this would be better source of guidance for Australian Muslims.
Role
A
mufti
A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...
can be defined as a religious leader who is qualified to offer
nonbinding rulings (''fatwas'') on a point of
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
. Fatwas are offered in response to a question posed by an individual or judge and are then published to the wider community in legal reference manuals. Fatwas are not
obligatory
An obligation is a course of action that someone is required to take, whether legal or moral. Obligations are constraints; they limit freedom. People who are under obligations may choose to freely act under obligations. Obligation exists when ther ...
, so the questioner can reject and seek fatwas elsewhere, but it still can play a pivotal role in facilitating the practice of Islam.
The general role of the Grand Mufti according to ANIC is to respect the
ethnic diversity
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
of Australian Muslims, be faithful to Islamic teachings, and be a relatable figure that Australian Muslims can seek guidance from.
The Grand Mufti of Australia can hold the position for a maximum of two three-year terms and is elected by a committee of 18 members from ANIC.
According to Abou El Fadl, a Professor of Law at UCLA specialising in
Islamic jurisprudence
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and e ...
, a mufti must display five key qualities: “honesty, diligence, comprehensiveness, reasonableness, and self-restraint”, or be deemed not competent of inheriting the position.
Abdalla (2011),
the founder of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit, recounts other qualifications deemed necessary for a mufti, such as a solid understanding of the
Qur’an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
,
Hadith literature and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
language, the ability to perform independent legal reasoning, and respect for the intellectual and political contexts of the host country. Abdalla stresses the importance of these conditions, commenting that non competent muftis can cause
havoc
High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC) is a set of crewed NASA mission concepts to the planet Venus. All human portions of the missions would be conducted from lighter-than-air craft or from orbit.
Background
Venus is a planet with a r ...
on the way some Muslims practice their faith.
In comparison to Muslim countries, Australia is predominantly a
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. Anything that does not have an explicit reference to religion, either negativ ...
society,
and thus the Grand Mufti’s role is limited in that it is not state-appointed and instead managed by the Islamic body, Australian National Imams Council.
History
The first Mufti of Australia was elected by the
Australian Federation of Islamic Council in 1988. However, following some offensive comments about women’s dress code,
Taj el-Din Hamid Hilali was fired from his position in 2007. A meeting was held to discuss the matter with around eighty qualified Muslim leaders, and this led to the creation of the Australian National Imams Council and the election of a new Mufti, Sheikh
Fehmi Naji el- Imam.
Beliefs
The Grand Mufti of Australia in 2020, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, has stated he values community harmony and intends to minimise Islamophobia and promote a culture of respect. He describes Islamophobia as an irrational fear or
prejudice
Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...
against Islam and states it may have arisen from a general fear of changing the country’s identity.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed publicly condemns
terrorist
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
and other acts against community harmony. He blames Islamophobia for the
2019 Christchurch mass shooting, stating in an interview, “this criminal actor’s feelings were not formed yesterday, but as a result of political mobilization and hatred against Muslims from some irresponsible media figures and some senior politicians”.
In 2020 he commented that officials such as the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
should pass a law that bans hate speech.
He also encourages Australian Muslims, especially the youth, to avoid seeking advice online, as foreign Islamic sites may not understand life in Australia or may spread
extremist
Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied shar ...
ideologies. Extremists and terrorists use virtual media platforms to gain more followers, create a brand image, and source funding, partnerships, and suppliers. It enables them to conduct these activities on a global scale, at a low cost, and encrypt their messages so they can operate anonymously. For this reason, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed made an announcement to the Muslim youth of Australia in 2016, persuading them to learn from reputable
sheiks
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
who have studied at Islamic learning institutions and lead at local
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s, instead of ‘Sheikh’ Google or ‘Sheikh’ YouTube as “you are not a foreigner” and these sites are “imposters”.
Another predominant belief of the Grand Mufti is the necessity of
ijtihad
''Ijtihad'' ( ; ar, اجتهاد ', ; lit. physical or mental ''effort'') is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a le ...
. Muslims may interpret the Sharia in different ways, with some believing the rules should be followed exactly as they were written (''
taqlid
''Taqlid'' (Arabic تَقْليد ''taqlīd'') is an Islamic term denoting the conformity of one person to the teaching of another. The person who performs ''taqlid'' is termed ''muqallid''. The definite meaning of the term varies depending on co ...
''), and others believing the rules should be re-evaluated when necessary according to modern and country-specific policies.
The latter view is fundamental to ijtihad, a process defined as independent legal reasoning. Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed believes in and bases his fatwas upon ijtihad to promote community harmony between Islamic and state law. For example, when asked about
organ donation
Organ donation is the process when a person allows an organ of their own to be removed and transplanted to another person, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or dead with the assent of the next of kin.
Donation may be for re ...
, which is traditionally prohibited in Islamic law, Mohammed applied ijtihad, and commented that if it is performed morally, then saving a life overpowers a violation of Sharia law.
Influence of the media
The high incidence of negative media coverage of Islam and Muslims in Australia has resulted in Australian Muslims feeling excluded from the wider Australian society.
It is suggested that news media practitioners, scholars, Muslims, and the Grand Mufti need to establish standards to reporting neutral and balanced news.
Many Australian Muslims have stated the rise of Islamophobia is correlated with negative portrayals of Islam in the media and that some television channels, radio stations and politicians nearing election times have in effect put them on the defensive for their Islamic faith. Nahid Kabir, a humanities professor at Edith Cowan University affirms this point, commenting in 2006, Islam remains “the focus of topical discourse”, because the media focuses extensively on “
Islamic militants
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term t ...
…and does not counter this with balanced coverage” and it is unlikely that this approach will be reassessed in the future.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed himself has also been a subject in the media, seen in his response to the
November 2015 Paris attacks
The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
. He admonished the attacks stating the act was inexcusable, cowardly, and horrifying, but it was also a sign that racism and Islamophobia need to be addressed. The statement became widespread in the media and a large reception of people were offended by the comment and viewed the Mufti as defending terrorism. Two days later Mohammed posted an apology regretting his statement and the causative factors it may have implied.
The Daily Telegraph posted two newspapers on the subject, titled “The unwise mufti” and “Even Hamas condemn the Paris attacks so why won’t Australia’s Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohammed?” The Grand Mufti is therefore also at risk of being demonised in the media and is expected to report quickly and carefully on current world events, as well as promote awareness of Islamophobia to reduce prejudice the media created against Australian Muslims.
Criticisms
Scholars such as Abdalla (2011)
and Black & Hosen (2009)
have commented that it is unrealistic for one religious authority to unify the diverse Australian Muslim community. The majority of Australian Muslims are Sunni followers, yet the minority are mostly
Shi’tes, and others are
Bektashis
The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash Wali (d. 1271). The community is currently led ...
Ahmadis Alawis
The Alawis, Alawites ( ar, علوية ''Alawīyah''), or pejoratively Nusayris ( ar, نصيرية ''Nuṣayrīyah'') are an ethnoreligious group that lives primarily in Levant and follows Alawism, a sect of Islam that originated from Shia Isla ...
and
Druze
The Druze (; ar, دَرْزِيٌّ, ' or ', , ') are an Arabic-speaking esoteric ethnoreligious group from Western Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, syncretic, and ethnic religion based on the teachings of ...
. Australian Muslims are also from a variety of backgrounds, with around "two-thirds born overseas in countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Iran, Fiji, Cyprus, Somalia, Egypt and Malaysia”.
Abdalla (2011) and Black & Hosen (2009) therefore conclude a singular mufti of the Sunni tradition is impractical to assisting followers of the minority traditions.
As fatwas are not obligatory, some Australian Muslims seek their fatwas from their local imam or they look online, and in 2009 Australia was the seventh-ranked country out of 128 to seek their fatwas from overseas scholars. Researchers in Islamic studies conclude this could be a result of a lack of confidence in the current Australian system.
Abdalla (2011) and Black & Hosen (2009) therefore propose the formation of a collective body of scholars to lead the Australian Muslim community, with some imams issuing more progressive fatwas, and others more fundamentalist. The body will also include specialists in the areas of medicine, finance and law and imams or translators who speak languages such as Arabic, Turkish and Persian. They believe this will cater more for the ethnic diversity of Australian Muslims and balance religious and state laws more effectively.
List of Grand Muftis
#
Taj El-Din Hilaly
Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly (alternatively spelt Tajeddin Hilaly, Hilali, Al-Hilaly, Taj el-Din al-Hilali, Aldin Alhilali, Tajideen El-Hilaly or Tajeddine) Toni Hassan ABC Radio, The Religion Report (transcripKeysar Trad on an alternative Australia ...
(1992–2007)
#
Fehmi Naji
, native_name_lang = Arabic
, image =
, alt =
, caption =
, religion = Islam
, denomination = Sunni
, temple = Preston Mosque
, education =
, alma_mater =
, nationa ...
(2007–2011)
#
Ibrahim Abu Mohamed
Ibrahim Abu Mohamed (alternative spelling, Ibrahim Abu Mohammed) is an Egyptian-born and educated Sunni Islamic scholar and Grand Mufti of Australia from September 2011 to March 2018. He became Grand Mufti again after Afifi's death.
Personal ...
(2011–2018)
#
Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi (2018)
[Grand Mufti of Australia Mufti Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi dies](_blank)
Samantha Donovan, ABC News Online
ABC News, or ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Broadcasting within Australia and the rest of the world, the service covers both local and world affairs.
The division of ...
, 2018-07-11
Since Al-Afifi's death in July 2018 Ibrahim Abu Mohamed has assumed the role in an acting capacity.
References
{{reflist
Titles
Islam in Australia
Lists of Islamic religious leaders