Hussam ad-Din Jarallah

Who was Hussam ad-Din Jarallah?

Hussam al-Din Jarallah was a Sunni Muslim leader of the Palestinian people during the British Mandate of Palestine and was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem from 1948 until his death.

Jarallah was born in Jerusalem and was educated at the al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He was a leading member of the Supreme Muslim Council during the British Mandate of Palestine. Politically, he was an ally of the Nashashibis and a rival of the al-Husaynis. When Kamil al-Husayni died in 1921, Jarallah had significant support from the ulema in Jerusalem to succeed al-Husayni as Grand Mufti. Indeed he won the most number of votes in the election for the post. However, the British High Commissioner Herbert Samuel convinced Jarallah to withdraw, thus allowing al-Husayni's brother Amin to qualify as a candidate, whom Samuel then appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem As a consolation, the British appointed Jarallah as the chief qadi and inspector of the Muslim religious courts in Palestine.

After Jordan occupied Jerusalem in 1948, Abdullah I of Jordan removed Amin al-Husayni as Grand Mufti and appointed Jarallah in his place on 20 December 1948. Jarallah was the Grand Mufti until his death. No Grand Mufti was appointed to replace Jarallah until Yasser Arafat appointed Sulaiman Ja'abari in 1993.