Saad al-Alami

Saad el-Din el-Alami (Arabic: سعد الدين العلمي;^[1] 1911 – 6 February 1993) was a Sunni Muslim religious leader of the Palestinian people and the fourth Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, in office from 1952 until his death.^[2][3]

Saad el-Din el-Alami
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
In office 1952 – 6 February 1993
Preceded by	Hussam ad-Din Jarallah
Succeeded by	Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri
Personal details
Born	1911 (1911) Jerusalem
Died	February 6, 1993(1993-02-06) (aged 81–82)
Nationality	Palestinian

Al-Alami was born in Jerusalem in 1911, and worked as a sharia judge in Ramallah from 1948–51 and in Nablus from 1951–53. The Alamis were a notable family in the Jerusalem area generally.^[4] In 1952, the Jordanian Jerusalem Islamic Waqf appointed Saad al-Alami as Mufti of Jerusalem in succession to Hussam ad-Din Jarallah.

After the Six-Day War in 1967 Al-Alami helped found the Islamic High Council to try to protect Muslim Holy Sites in Jerusalem from potential Israeli infringement.^[3]

Al-Alami used his position to speak about international politics. He issued a fatwa against Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on June 26, 1983, after Assad got into conflict with the PLO and Yasser Arafat during the Lebanese Civil War.^[5] Al-Alami said in the fatwa “This Asad, had murdered many Muslims, including Palestinian Muslims. The Islamic law is that such a person must be killed.”^[5]

In 1989, Al-Alami allowed Israeli troops on the al Aqsa Mosque grounds,^[3] the site where Mohammad is believed to ascend to heaven, after a group of Israeli extremist, The Temple Mount Faithful had been trying to build a temple on the mosque’s site.^[6] Al-Alami came to regret his decision after Israeli troops allowed Temple Mount Faithful members to start building the temple in October 1990.^[6] After Palestinian Muslims came to the Mosque, prepared to defend it, without warning or provocation Israeli soldiers shot into the crowd, killing 17, and wounding over 150.^[6]

Positions held

• Served as a judge in Nasiriyah.
• Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Acting Chief Justice of the West Bank.
• President of the Sharia Court of Appeals.
• Chairman of the Supreme Board of Al-Quds University.
• Member of the Muslim World League, 1985.^[7]

Death

Al-Alami died on February 6, 1993 of heart failure,^[8] and was buried in Jerusalem.^[9]