Mullah

A Shia mullah praying in Imamzadeh Hamzah, Tabriz, Iran

Mullah (/ˈmʌlə, ˈmʊlə, ˈmlə/; Persian: ملا, romanizedmullā, mollā) is an honorific title for Muslim clergy and mosque leaders.[1] The term is widely used in Iran and Afghanistan and is also used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law.

The title has also been used in some Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish communities in reference to the community's leadership, especially its religious leadership.[2]

  1. ^ Szczepanski, Kallie (16 October 2019). "Islamic Mullah". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  2. ^ See for example: "Rabbinic Succession in Bukhara 1790–1930" Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine