The Regulations Made ‹n The Second Constitutionalera Concerning The Muftis

Abstract

The study tries to examine the changes in the responsibility and authority of the central and provincial muftis who have had important religious duties in the Ottoman Empire. For this purpose, the Second Constitutional Era, which is a period in which the relationship between state and religion was beginning to be questioned and even when new efforts for regution were being made, has been analysed. In this period, by assessing the regulations made concerning the subject, attempts for the separation of the judicial and religious affairs have been particulary emphasized. Moreover, by considering the moral effect the muftis leave upon the people due to their religious duties, we have tried to examine the decisions taken for the postponement of retirement and military service of the muftis and we have also endeavored to explain the subject of reestablishing the salary of muftis which play an important role in the defining of their social class.Mufti, Fatwa, Religious Affairs, Judiciary.