maulana

Maulana is an honorific title used in South Asia for respected senior Muslim religious scholars and leaders. It comes from the Arabic mawla (mawlā), meaning “master, patron, protector,” and in usage conveys respect when addressing a learned cleric.

In Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and other South Asian languages, Maulana is commonly transliterated as Maulana, Maulvi, or Molvi. The term is not a formal rank; it signals esteem and seriousness of scholarship. In practice, Maulana may denote a senior or highly regarded scholar, while Maulvi or Molvi is often used for clerics or teachers with formal education. Regional usage varies.

In modern contexts, Maulana is used for imams, madrasa teachers, and public religious leaders. Some well-known figures identified by this honorific include Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, an Indian Muslim scholar and leader of the independence movement; Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a Pakistani cleric and politician; and Maulana Tariq Jamil, a Pakistani Islamic scholar and media figure.

See also: Ulama; Islamic titles; Maulana (title).