Sheikh Hussein was appointed the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in 2006. Previously, he had been the manager and imam of the Blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. He is an outspoken critic of the Israeli occupation, and has personally defended the Al-Aqsa Mosque from settlers and the Israeli army. In July, 2018, Hussein issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from selling or transferring any land in Palestine to Jews.