Qadhi

Qadhi, commonly transliterated as qāḍī or qaḍī, is the Arabic term for a judge in Islamic law. A qadi is an official who applies Sharia to civil and criminal cases, often within a dedicated court or tribunal. The office has historical roots in early Islamic jurisprudence and has been influential across many Muslim‑majority cultures where formal courts operated under Islamic law. The word derives from qaḍā, meaning “to judge” or “to determine.”

Historically, qadi were appointed by rulers or caliphs and served in the courts of empires such as the Abbasid Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire, and the Mughal Empire. They presided over matters including family law, contracts, inheritance, and, in some contexts, hudūd punishments, adhering to local legal schools (madhahib) and procedural rules. In different regions, the qadi could also act as a senior religious authority within the judiciary, while in others, advisory fatwas were issued by muftis and formal judgments by the qadi.

In the modern era, the title persists in certain Sharia court systems, though the structure and authority of qadis vary by country. In addition to its official use, Qadhi is a surname or honorific found in various Muslim communities, and its spelling appears as Qadi, Kadhi, or Qazi in different languages.