The President of the Sharia discusses religious and social issues with the Supreme Fatwa Council

President Ahmed Al-Sharaa held a meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Damascus, with the Supreme Fatwa Council, chaired by the Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic, Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai, during which a number of religious and social issues were discussed.

The role of religious institutions in promoting national values was also emphasized, in a way that contributes to supporting societal stability and serving the public interest.

A major shift in the fatwa system in Syria

The fatwa system in Syria has witnessed a remarkable transformation during 2025 with the restoration of the position of the Grand Mufti and the formation of the Supreme Fatwa Council with a new composition, after the abolition of the position in 2021, and the Council is currently headed by Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai, who was appointed Grand Mufti under Decree No. (8) of 2025, and is headed by a council that includes 15 scholars, most notably Sheikh Muhammad Rateb al-Nabulsi and Sheikh Muhammad Naim Arqsoussi.

Over the past months, the council has intensified its activity by launching the Charter for the Unity of Islamic Discourse in February 2026, in addition to forming the National Committee for Monitoring the Crescents and appointing Sheikh Naim Arqsoussi as the mufti of the Umayyad Mosque.

The Council is currently in charge of the tasks previously entrusted to the Scientific Fiqh Council, including issuing fatwas on issues and developments and supervising religious institutions and muftis in the provinces, as part of the reorganization of the country's official religious institution.