Maulana
Encyclopedia
Mawlānā is an Arabic
word literally meaning "our lord" or "our master" (defined in the Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
as "a form of address to a sovereign").
It is used as a title, mostly in Central Asia and in the Indian subcontinent, preceding the name of respected Muslim
religious leaders, in particular graduates of religious institutions, e.g. a madrassa or a darul uloom
, or scholars who have studied under other Islamic scholars.
, Africa
and the Indian
subcontinent.
language, where it is used also as a title of respect for revered members of a community, religious or secular, roughly equivalent to the English "Sir". In some circles it is used to refer to Ron Karenga
, the Afro-American activist.
In the mostly Muslim region of West Africa
, the root has been proposed as a source for the words Mallam (Hausa language
) and Maame (Wolof language
), which are used to denote Islamic scholars, or in areas practising folk Islam or folk magic, a local shaman. Among the Hausas the word "Mallam" is additionally used as equivalent of English "Mr". A more likely explanation for this word (and for the Swahili "mwalimu") is the Arabic word "mu'allim" (معلم), which in Moroccan Arabic is pronounced "m'allam." This word means teacher or "master" in a Qur'anic school.
(See also Marabout
.)
Although the words Maulvi and Maulana are interchanged in the Indian Subcontinent as a title of respect, Maulana is more often associated with formal qualification following study at a Madrassa or Darul Uloom
and Maulvi
is usually more a general title for religious figures. In Bangladesh
, in the government Aliyah madrassa system, Maulvi is also associated with formal degrees for those who have passed the course of Maulvi (basic), Maulvi Alim (intermediate) or Maulvi Fazil (advanced).
ends with the ayah or verse containing: "Anta maulana fansurnaa 'alal qawm al kafireen" (Al-Baqarah:286)
This verse is used as part of Du'a or supplication by Muslims. When a Muslim says this they are calling Allah their maulana. Many Muslims believe that because this ayah has us stating that Allah is our maulana, that turning around and saying anyone else is our maulana is an attempt to elevate that person to Allah's level.
A rebuttal to this argument is that it's narrated in the Quran that Yusuf said 'innahu rabbi', in verse 23 of surah 12, meaning 'he is my lord' to refer to Aziz who was a protector for him. Of course, Yusuf was not equating Aziz's status with that of God's, and in the same light, one does not equate the status of a maulana with that of God's by using the title maulana. Furthermore it is stated in the Qur'an that the righteous amongst the Believers can be called Maula. "If ye two turn in repentance to Him, your hearts are indeed so inclined; but if ye back up each other against him, truly Allah is his Protector(Maula), and Gabriel, and (every) righteous one among those who believe― and furthermore, the angels― will back (him) up." Surah At-Tahrim
(66:4)
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word literally meaning "our lord" or "our master" (defined in the Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
The Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic is an Arabic-English dictionary compiled by Hans Wehr and edited by J Milton Cowan.First published in 1961 by Otto Harrassowitz in Wiesbaden, Germany, it was an enlarged and revised English version of Wehr's German Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache...
as "a form of address to a sovereign").
It is used as a title, mostly in Central Asia and in the Indian subcontinent, preceding the name of respected Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
religious leaders, in particular graduates of religious institutions, e.g. a madrassa or a darul uloom
Darul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
, or scholars who have studied under other Islamic scholars.
Other uses
Although the word originated in the Arabic language, it adopted different meanings as it travelled from Arabia to Persia, TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the Indian
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
subcontinent.
Persian use
In Iran and Turkey the word normally refers to Rumi (Persian pronunciation Mowlana) (Turkish pronunciation "Mevlana").Africa
This word has been borrowed into the SwahiliSwahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
language, where it is used also as a title of respect for revered members of a community, religious or secular, roughly equivalent to the English "Sir". In some circles it is used to refer to Ron Karenga
Ron Karenga
Maulana Karenga is an African-American professor of Africana Studies, scholar/activist, author and best known as the creator of the pan-African and African American holiday of Kwanzaa...
, the Afro-American activist.
In the mostly Muslim region of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, the root has been proposed as a source for the words Mallam (Hausa language
Hausa language
Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 25 million people, and as a second language by about 18 million more, an approximate total of 43 million people...
) and Maame (Wolof language
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
), which are used to denote Islamic scholars, or in areas practising folk Islam or folk magic, a local shaman. Among the Hausas the word "Mallam" is additionally used as equivalent of English "Mr". A more likely explanation for this word (and for the Swahili "mwalimu") is the Arabic word "mu'allim" (معلم), which in Moroccan Arabic is pronounced "m'allam." This word means teacher or "master" in a Qur'anic school.
(See also Marabout
Marabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
.)
Difference in titles Mullah and Maulvi among Muslims in South Asia
In the Central Asian and South Asian (Indian Subcontinent) context, where "Mullah" does not carry a formal sense, Maulana is often the word of choice for addressing or referring to Muslim religious scholars that are respected, while Mullah is used often derogatorily for people the speaker considers to be more rabble-rousers than scholars.Although the words Maulvi and Maulana are interchanged in the Indian Subcontinent as a title of respect, Maulana is more often associated with formal qualification following study at a Madrassa or Darul Uloom
Darul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
and Maulvi
Maulvi
Mawlawi is an honorific Islamic religious title given to Sunni Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah, or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means highly-qualified Islamic scholar...
is usually more a general title for religious figures. In Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, in the government Aliyah madrassa system, Maulvi is also associated with formal degrees for those who have passed the course of Maulvi (basic), Maulvi Alim (intermediate) or Maulvi Fazil (advanced).
Objection
In past, some people have objected to the use of 'Maula' and hence 'Maulana' as a title referring to humans, believing that 'Maula' should exclusively be used to refer to God.Response
Shia and Sunnis of India & Pakistan who also very often use the title, reject this objection on two grounds. First, Maula is not a name of God. Second, they cite a hadith of the prophet: "Man kuntu maulah fa haza Aliyyun Maulah" (Ali is a Maula of whom I am a Maula). So it can be used for a human being.The Qur'an
Surat Al-Baqarah of the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
ends with the ayah or verse containing: "Anta maulana fansurnaa 'alal qawm al kafireen" (Al-Baqarah:286)
This verse is used as part of Du'a or supplication by Muslims. When a Muslim says this they are calling Allah their maulana. Many Muslims believe that because this ayah has us stating that Allah is our maulana, that turning around and saying anyone else is our maulana is an attempt to elevate that person to Allah's level.
A rebuttal to this argument is that it's narrated in the Quran that Yusuf said 'innahu rabbi', in verse 23 of surah 12, meaning 'he is my lord' to refer to Aziz who was a protector for him. Of course, Yusuf was not equating Aziz's status with that of God's, and in the same light, one does not equate the status of a maulana with that of God's by using the title maulana. Furthermore it is stated in the Qur'an that the righteous amongst the Believers can be called Maula. "If ye two turn in repentance to Him, your hearts are indeed so inclined; but if ye back up each other against him, truly Allah is his Protector(Maula), and Gabriel, and (every) righteous one among those who believe― and furthermore, the angels― will back (him) up." Surah At-Tahrim
At-Tahrim
Surat At-Tahrim is the 66th sura of the Qur'an with 12 ayat. The entire Surah was revealed to Prophet Muhammad to expose A'isha's and Hafsa's conspiracy against Zaynab bint Jahsh and the Prophet...
(66:4)
See also
- SheikhSheikhNot to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
- MawlawiMawlawi (Islamic title)Mawlawi is an honorific Islamic religious title given to Sunni Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah, or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means highly-qualified Islamic scholar...
- MullahMullahMullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
- MaraboutMaraboutA marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
- Islamic term
External links
- About Mawlana
- Islam Way Online - Your Religion and Spirituality Portal Web portal for Maulana Faizani, a traditional Afghan Maulana