Mullah

In may Islamic countries Mullah Persian: ملا or Mula is the name given to a man with an education in Islamic theology and law. The title Mullah is commonly used for petty local Islamic clerics or mosque leaders.^[1]

A mullah praying in Imamzadeh Seyyed Hamza, Tabriz.

It is primarily understood in the Muslim world as a term of respect for a religiously educated man.^[2]

References

1. Roy, Olivier (1994). The Failure of Political Islam. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. 28–9. ISBN 0674291409.
2. Taheri, Amir (1985). The Spirit of Allah: Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution. Bethesda, Md.: Adler & Adler. p. 53. ISBN 0-917561-04-X.