Imams

Imam (; Arabic: إمام, imām; pl.: أئمة, a'immah) is an Islamic leadership position. In Sunni Islam, an Imam generally refers to a religious leader, scholar, or the person who leads Muslims in prayer. The position is not necessarily hereditary or divinely appointed. Thus in Sunni Islam, anyone can study the basic Islamic teachings and become an Imam. In Shia Islam, the Imams are absolute infallible leaders after the Prophet. Shia Muslims consider the term to be only applicable to the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. In Twelver Shi'ism there are The Fourteen Infallibles, twelve of which are Imams, the final being the Mahdi who will return at the end of times. Sunni IslamSunni Islam does not conceive of the role of imams in the same sense as Shia Islam: an important distinction often overlooked by non-Muslims. In everyday terms, an imam for Sunni Muslims is the person charged with leading formal Islamic prayers (Fard)—even in locations besides the mosque—whenever prayer is performed in a group of two or more. The imam leads the worship and the congregation copies his actions. Friday sermons are most often given by an appointed imam. All mosques have an i