---
title: "What is National Shariah authority? | IslamicOpenFinance™"
description: "A Shariah body set up by national law or government, independent of the regulator, whose rulings bind institutions."
url: https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/national-shariah-authority/
lang: en-GB
source: "IslamicOpenFinance"
---

[Glossary](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/) / [Shariah governance](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/#governance)

Shariah governance

# National Shariah authority

A Shariah body set up by national law or government, independent of the regulator, whose rulings bind institutions.

The IFSB distinguishes two kinds of centralised Shariah body. A central Shariah authority is established within a regulatory or supervisory body, while a national Shariah authority is typically established by national legislation or government and is independent of the regulator. IFSB-31 asks supervisors to set out how such authorities' pronouncements fit into their framework and what institutions must do to show compliance with them. Where either kind exists, an institution's own board works within its rulings rather than in parallel to them.

## Sources

- [IFSB-31 Guiding Principles for Effective Supervision of Shariah Governance, 2025: central and national Shariah authorities](https://www.ifsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IFSB-31-Guiding-Principles-for-Effective-Supervision-of-Shariah-Governance.pdf)

This entry explains a term; it is not a Shariah ruling. Approving a product is for each institution's own Shariah board and regulator.

## Related terms

[**Central Shariah board** A national or regulator-level Shariah authority whose rulings set or harmonise Shariah positions across a jurisdiction.](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/central-shariah-board/) [**Shariah supervisory board** An independent panel of Shariah scholars that approves an institution's products and oversees its Shariah compliance.](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-board/) [**Shariah governance system** The institutional arrangements through which an institution ensures independent oversight of its Shariah compliance.](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-governance-system/) [**Higher Shari'ah Authority (UAE)** The UAE's national Shari'ah body whose regulations, standards and resolutions frame institutions' internal Shari'ah committees.](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/higher-shariah-authority/)

**Shariah governance**

1. [Shariah supervisory board](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-board/)
2. [Fatwa](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/fatwa/)
3. [Shariah governance system](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-governance-system/)
4. [Shariah review](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-review/)
5. [Shariah audit](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-audit/)
6. [Shariah non-compliance risk](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/shariah-non-compliance-risk/)
7. [Purification of income](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/purification/)
8. [Central Shariah board](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/central-shariah-board/)

[All 221 terms](https://islamicopenfinance.com/glossary/)