Mufti

(Arabic, expounder of the law) is the name of the chief of the Turkish ecclesiastical and judicial order. There is a mufti in every large town of the Ottoman empire. In his religious capacity he administers the property of the Church, and watches over the due observance and preservation of its rites and discipline. In his civil capacity he pronounces decisions in such .matters of dispute as may be submitted to him. The Turkish grand mufti is the supreme head of the Ulemas (servants of religion and laws), and has, together with the grand vizir (Vizir Azim), the supreme guidance of the state, nominally ruled by the sultan. He is the chief spiritual authority, and in this capacity he is also denominated Sheik-al-Islam (Lord of the Faith). The imams (priests), however, chosen from the body of the ulemas, are, from the moment of their official appointment, under the authority of the Kislar-Aga, or Chief of the Black Eunuchs. The better class of the ulemas are the teachers and expounders of the law, from among whom the mollahs and cadis are elected. The Turkish laws have their basis in the Koran; the mufti thus, as head of the judges, acquires a spiritual authority, and so great is the' popular regard for the mufti that even the sultan himself, if he will preserve any appearance of religion, cannot, without first hearing his opinion, put any person to death, or so much as inflict any corporeal punishment. In all actions, especially criminal ones, his opinion is required by giving him a writing, in which the case is stated under feigned names, which he subscribes with the word Olur or Olmuz, i.e., he shall or shall not be punished, accompanied with these emphatic words, in which he repudiates all claims to infallibility, "God knows better." Such outward honor is paid to the grand mufti that the grand seignior himself rises up before him, and advances seven steps towards him when lie comes into his presence. He alone has the honor of kissing the sultan's left shoulder, while the prime vizir kisses only the hem of his garment. When the grand seignior addresses any writing to the grand mufti, he gives him the following titles: "To the esad, the wisest of the wise; instructed in all knowledge; the most excellent of excellents; abstaining from things unlawful; the spring of virtue and true science; heir of the prophetic doctrines; resolver of the problems of faith; revealer of the orthodox articles; key of the treasures of truth; the light to doubtful allegories; strengthened with the grace of the Supreme Legislator of mankind. May the Most High God perpetuate thy favors." The election of the grand mufti is vested solely in the sultan, who presents him with a vest of rich sables, and allows him a salary of a thousand aspers a day, which is about five pounds sterling. Besides this, he has the disposal of certain benefices belonging to the royal mosques, which he makes no scruple of selling to the best advantage; and on his admission to his office he is complimented by the agents of the bashas, who make him the usual presents, which generally amount to a very considerable sum. It is the grand mufti's prerogative generally to gird the sultan with the sword at his ascension to the throne, a ceremony which takes place at the Mosque of Eyub, and which is equal to the ceremony of coronation. In modern days the position of mufti has lost much of its former dignity and importance. His fetwa, or decision, although attached to the imperial decrees, imparts to it but little additional weight. Nor is his own dictum in things spiritual always considered as finally binding. The only prerogative of muftis and ulemas which has hitherto remained untouched is their being exempt from bodily or otherwise degrading punishments; nor can their property ever be confiscated, but descends to their successors.