mullahs

Mullah (Persian mollā) is an honorific used in many Muslim-majority regions to refer to a learned religious scholar or teacher. The term is most common in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. It originally denotes a person educated in Islamic theology and law and is often used for local imams or instructors in mosques and madrasas. The precise meaning and status of a mullah vary by country and tradition; in some contexts the word is respectful, while in others it may be a generic or even pejorative label for clerics who wield influence.

Mullahs typically receive religious training in madrasa networks or hawza seminaries and are entrusted with directing prayers, teaching the Qur’an and Islamic sciences, and advising communities on matters of ritual practice, personal status, and ethics. In many regions the mullah's authority is limited to a local or community level; higher degrees of clerical rank exist, but systematized hierarchies differ between Sunni and Shia communities. In Shia contexts, titles such as ayatollah or marja’ al-taqlid denote senior scholars, while mullahs may serve in intermediate roles or as local spiritual leaders. In South Asia the words maulana or molvi are often used interchangeably with mullah, though stylistic and political connotations may vary.

Historically and in contemporary politics, mullahs can play significant social roles, from guiding religious education to participating in governance or activism. In Iran, a substantial segment of the clergy has held political influence since the 1979 revolution, with the Supreme Leader as the top clerical authority. Elsewhere the relationship between religion and state is more diverse and less centralized.