Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi (1445 – 1526) Ottoman mufti, Islamic scholar (alim), shaykh al-Islam, Sufi, and minister. Zenbilli Ali was the son of Ahmed Çelebi, the grandson of Cemaleddin Aksarayi, a descendant of Fahraddin al-Razi. Since he is the descendant of Cemaleddin Aksarâyî, he is referred to with the title of Cemali (pronounced Jemali), like his contemporary relatives and other statesmen and scholars. He was known among the people as "Zenbilli mufti" and "Zenbilli Ali Efendi", because he took people's questions with a weaved basket (zenbil) hanging from the window of his house in order to conclude the affairs of those who applied to him for a fatwa in a short time and put the answers back in the zenbil.
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Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi in the context of List of Sheikh-ul-Islams of the Ottoman Empire
Following the foundation of the Ottoman state, the title of Sheikh-ul-Islam (Turkish: Şeyhülislâm), formerly used in the Abbasid Caliphate, was given to a leader authorized to issue legal opinion or fatwa. His office was known as the Şeyhülislâm Kapısı, Bâb-ı Fetvâ, or Bâb-ı Meşîhat (The Sheikh's Porte). During the reign of Sultan Murad II, (1421–1444, 1446–1451) the position became an official title, with authority over other muftis in the Empire. In the late 16th century, the Shaykh al-Islam were assigned to appoint and dismiss supreme judges, high ranking college professors, and heads of Sufi orders. Prominent figures include Zenbilli Ali Cemali Efendi (1445–1526), Ibn-i Kemal (Kemalpaşazade) (1468–1533), Ebussuud Efendi (1491–1574) and al-Kawthari (1879–1952).