Mawlawi ( ar, مولوي; also spelled Maulvi, Molvi, Moulavi and Mawlvi) is an
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
religious title given to Muslim religious scholars, or
ulama, preceding their names, similar to the titles
Mawlānā,
Mullah
Mullah (; ) is an honorific title for Shia and Sunni Muslim clergy or a Muslim mosque leader. The term is also sometimes used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and sharia law.
The title has also been used in some Miz ...
, or
Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
. Mawlawi generally means a highly qualified Islamic scholar, usually one who has completed full studies in a
madrassa (Islamic school) or
darul uloom (Islamic seminary). It is commonly used in
Iran,
Central Asia,
South Asia,
South East Asia and
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
. The word Mawlawi is derived from the
Arabic word ''
mawla'', which has several meanings, including "lord".
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
Mawlawi fraternity of
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
s (Muslim mystics) was founded in
Konya (Qonya),
Anatolia, by the Persian Sufi poet Jalal ad-Din ar-
Rumi
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلالالدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...
(d. 1273), whose popular title mawlana (
Arabic for "our master") gave the order its name. The order, propagated throughout Anatolia, controlled Konya and environs by the 15th century and in the 17th century appeared in
Istanbul.
Mawlawiyah - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
/ref>
Indian Subcontinent
Although the words Maulvi, Maulbi and Maulana are interchanged in the Indian subcontinent as a title of respect, Maulana is more often associated with formal qualification following study at a madrassa or darul uloom whereas Maulvi is usually more a general title for religious figures.
In the Pakistani and Central Asian context, where Mullah does not carry a formal meaning, "Maulana" or "Maulvi" is often the word of choice for addressing or referring to respected Muslim religious scholars (ulama).
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, in the government Aliyah Madrasa system, Maulvi/Moulvi is also associated with formal degrees for those who have passed the course of Maulvi/Moulvi (basic), Maulvi Aalim
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
(intermediate) or Maulvi Fazil (advanced).
See also
* Maulvi family, a prominent Bengali Muslim family
* Glossary of Islam
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambig ...
* Hadrat
References
{{reflist
Religious leadership roles
Islamic honorifics
Islamic Persian honorifics
Islamic Urdu honorifics