Syria Reinstates Grand Mufti in Religious Restructuring
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa reinstated the position of grand mufti and established a new Supreme Fatwa Council on Friday, in a move he described as part of efforts to rebuild the country’s religious and civic institutions following years of conflict and political upheaval.
According to Presidential Decree No. 8 of 2025, Sheikh Osama al-Rifa’i has been appointed grand mufti of Syria and will lead the newly formed 15-member council. The clerics, mostly from Damascus, will be responsible for issuing religious rulings, advising on Islamic law, appointing regional muftis, and overseeing the work of religious institutions nationwide.
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The Syrian presidency released a statement quoting al-Sharaa as saying that religious authority should be based on “collective scholarship,” emphasizing the need for a council-led approach to spiritual leadership. He said the reform aims to promote a “balanced and unified religious discourse” rooted in Syria’s Islamic traditions while addressing the modern realities facing the country.
The move also appears intended to mend sectarian divisions and foster social cohesion in a country where religious differences have often been manipulated during more than a decade of civil war.
The office of grand mufti, once a symbol of national religious authority, was abolished in 2021 by the previous government led by Bashar Assad. That decision was widely criticized by traditional scholars, who argued it undermined Sunni religious representation.
Sheikh al-Rifa’i, who previously served as an influential preacher in Damascus, is seen as a unifying figure among Syria’s Sunni majority.
