European Union Forums

[KevinDEvans]

I thought the ULAMA were the interpreters of Islam in Sunni Islam. I thought that the MUJTAHID were the interpreters of Islam for Shii Islam. Is this correct? One book of mine speaks about "shiite ulama". Are the shiite ulama the same as the mugtahid? Is ulama a generic term that includes mujtahid?

All help is welcome!

[JoshuaLHollars]

" ULAMA" in arabic , is the plural of "Alim" , which means : connoisseur , or someone who profoundly understands things (knowledgeable ). so, in religious studies . ULAMA are just knowledgeable people in the field.people that you can ask and get answers from about religious matters.
" MUJTAHID" in Arabic means deep thinker , or someone who analyzes deeply . Muslims usually refer by this title to the people who are knowledgeable about religious matters and analyze to find solutions and explanations to matters that could be new (regarding the new way of life in a specific time) , and then compare it to the traditional case (at the time of the prophet) , and with an analogy , they could deduct a solution or way for the new matter.
thus, both these 2 words , have nothing to do with Sunni or Shiite , it's just appellations that can be different from place to place in the Muslim world.
i hope i was helpful !

[ArlineDWilliams]

(From top to bottom in the rank)

A'lam is the top ranking jurist.

Mujtahid is s specialist on the deduction of the Islamic rules from four major sources: the Qur'an, Hadith, conscience of the community, and reasoning.

Alim is a scholar.


Islamic Glossary;
http://www.al-islam.org/about/resources/glossary.html

Hope this helps!