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ulama (also ulema; Arabic: plural of alim,

“possessor of knowledge”)

The chief religious authorities in Islam are the

ulama. In addition to scholars and teachers, they

include jurists, judges, preachers, imams (prayer

leaders), market inspectors, and advisers to rul-

ers. The ulama view themselves as the heirs of the

prophet mUhammad (ca. 570–632) in matters of

religious law (sharia) and tradition, the masters

of the qUran and hadith, and moral guardians

of the community of believers. They support

their claims to religious aUthority by invoking

the Quranic injunction, “Obey God, the Prophet,

and those who have authority among you” (italics

added, Q 4:59). They are not a priesthood, how-

ever, since they do not conduct sacramental rites

on behalf of the laity. Nor do they administer a

“church” or congregation like priests and minis-

ters do in Christianity. Rather, the ulama are more

like Jewish rabbis; they advise people about God’s

commandments and prohibitions, and they issue

opinions and judgments in matters of dispute or

legal necessity. Their status varies greatly, from

being half-literate caretakers at village mosques

to being highly esteemed scholars patronized

by the powerful and wealthy in the major urban

centers of Islamdom.

In Sunni Islam, which embodies the majority

of Muslims, there is no central religious author-

ity like a Roman Catholic pope or Orthodox

Christian patriarch. Rather, the authority of

Sunni ulama is built upon a web of relations that

extends from the mosque or madrasa (religious

college) to the palace, marketplace, bazaar,

neighborhood, household, and across entire

regions from North Africa and andalUsia to India

and beyond. Only in the era of Ottoman rule was

an official ranking recognized, focused on the

figure of the mUFti. This office became decentral-

ized with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire

after World War I. Shii ulama differ from Sunni

ulama; their authority is based on belief in the

infallibility of the Imams, venerated descendants

of Muhammad’s household (ahl al-bayt). As a

consequence, Shii ulama, particularly in tWelve-

imam shiism, have developed a centralized hier-

archy since the 18th century, with the top ranks

held by senior jurists known as ayatollahs. The

most highly ranked of these, determined by con-

sensus of the ulama on the basis of the jurist’s

knowledge and reputation, is the marjaa al-taqlid

(source of imitation). Shii ulama, like their Sunni

counterparts, also depend on extensive networks

of support and patronage.

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