Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

differenece between sheikh, mufti...

· 15 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1422 AH1 min readFatwa 4772English

Question

Assalam-u-alaikum mufti sahib I would like to know the difference between, sheikh, mufti, aalim, maulana and imam. and can you tell me which title is used for which scholar. jazakallah khairun

Answer

According to the scholars of Hadith, the word, 'Sheikh' refers to an Ustaadh of Hadith. In the Arab world, 'Sheikh' refers to a learned person, the equivalent to a Moulana in the Indo-pak continent.

In general, Sheikh will refer to a person whom one takes as his spiritual guide. A Mufti means one who is qualified to issue a Shar'ee verdict. An Aalim and a Moulana both refer to a learned person. Imam means leader - generally used for one who leads the congregation in Salat.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

Answered by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/4772
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-4772

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