mullah
noun/ˈmʊ.lə/ · /ˈmʌ.lə/
Etymology Derived from Classical Persian مُلَّا (mullā), from Arabic مَوْلًى (mawlan, “vicar, guardian”).
7 senses
- 1An honorific title for a scholar of theology and sharia law.
- 2An honorific title for a mosque leader.
- 3A scholar and teacher of theology and sharia law, and an…
- 4A conservative Muslim leader or cleric, especially one…
- 5A Muslim.
- 6A low-level cleric who specializes in telling stories of…
- 7See also: ruhani
- Leading Republicans do not sympathize with the mullahs, do not repeat their talking points, and do not seek to appease them when they make outrageous claims about other countries.2024 April 15, Anne Applebaum, “Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel but Not Ukraine?”, in The Atlantic:
3
Islam, Lifestyle, Religion A scholar and teacher of theology and sharia law, and an issuer of fatwas.
- In the first week of March 2018, the Shia mullah issues a fatwa prohibiting vengeance killing and requiring reconciliation.2021, Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Renáta Katalin Nelson, Evaluating Interreligious Peacebuilding and Dialogue Methods and Frameworks, page 58:
- Derived terms
- mullahcracy, mullahism