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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Religious Institutions and Roles

Imam

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ɪˈmɑːm/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, imam means: In Sunni Islam, a person who leads prayers in a mosque; in Shia Islam, also one of the divinely guided leaders from the Prophet's family, such as Ali and Husayn.

In Turkish: imam

How it is used

Lowercase for a prayer leader (the local imam) and capitalized for the Shia Imams and as an honorific title for great scholars (Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam al-Ghazali). In Turkey, imams are civil servants employed by the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet).

Example sentences

  1. The imam leads the daily prayers and teaches Qur'an classes in the evening.

  2. Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the twelfth Imam is in occultation.

Common collocations

  • the local imam
  • prayer leader
  • the Twelve Imams
  • imam-hatip school
  • lead as imam
  • mosqueA building where Muslims gather for prayer, especially the Friday congregational prayer, which often also serves as a centre for education and community life.
  • ShiaBelonging to the second-largest branch of Islam, whose followers believe that leadership after the Prophet Muhammad belonged to Ali and his descendants, the Imams.
  • SunniBelonging to the largest branch of Islam, followed by most Muslims worldwide, which accepts the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of the Prophet Muhammad.
  • clergyThe people who are formally trained and appointed to perform religious duties and lead a community, such as priests, ministers, imams and rabbis, considered as a group.
  • sermonA talk on a religious or moral subject given by a preacher or religious leader, usually as part of a worship service.

More terms: Religious Institutions and Roles

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