‘alim
(‘alim ; pl. ‘ulamā’)
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| (Language: Arabic) |
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| Short Description: |
The word usually refers to a jurist an expert in Islamic jurisprudence |
| Long Description: |
A learned scholar of Islam; the word usually refers to a jurist ( faqīh, pl. fuqahā’ ) , an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, but all learned people in any of the Islamic sciences—such as Qur’ān commentary, ḥadīth, kalām, philosophy, and Sufism—are ‘ulamā’. In some Muslim countries they are referred to as mullahs. |
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| Source(s): |
Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition, edited by Dr. Joseph Lumbard |
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