Who are the clergyman in Islam?

Answer 1

Answer 1Just like in Christianity, there are two main divisions of Islam: Sunni & Shi'a. Again, like Christians, one has a set clerical structure, and the other does not. Sunnis are like Protestants in that they have no set clergy. Imams, as they are called in the Arab world, or mullahs, as they are called in Southeast Asia, are simply local people called to lead a service, act as a religious figure in the community, or give sermons/lead prayers. Shi'as have a structure which is not mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, rather it evolved out of politics. The head of the Iranian Shi'a clergy is the Ayatollah, kind of like the Pope, but not considered to be a divine appointment. They are simply experts in Islamic studies, such as law, ethics, or philosophy.

Answer 2

Though all who belong to the Islamic faith have a responsibility to preach the words contained in the Koran, members of the local Islamic faith usually rely upon the Imam for congregational religious teachings.

Answer 3

In Sunni Islam, there is no proper top-down hierarchy. The leader of any particular congregation is called an Imam (أمام) or Mullah (ملا) and the congregation may be as small as a dozen families or as large as millions of people, as Islam has embraced televangelism in certain parts of the world. There are also Alems/Ulemaa (عالم) or Scholars who study Islamic texts and traditions scrupulously to determine proper Islamic practices. The most famous among the Alems are a subset called Faqihs (فقيه) who issue fatwas or religious decisions to important questions. There are additionally Sufis (سوفي) who are traditionally more populist and less concerned with the specifics of running a congregation. They prefer to have a more direct and meditative relationship with God.

In Shiite Islam, there is a hierarchy very similar to the Eastern Orthodox Church. All of the aforementioned Sunni positions also exist in Shiite Islam. Also, Shiite Islam changes the role of the Mullah and has an additional position called an Ayatollah (أيات الله). The Mullah in Shiite Islam functions similarly to bishop in Christianity in that he supervises the activities of all Shiite Mosques within a small geographic area. All of the Mullahs report to an Ayatollah, which is similar to a Patriarch. An Ayatollah supervises all of the Mullahs within a large geographic area. Each of the Ayatollahs operates independently and may vehemently disagree with each other on certain fatwas. There is no one to establish uniformity between two Ayatollahs who disagree.

Answer 2

Muslims are led by IMAMS in local congregations, but there are numerous other types of Muslim clergy such as: Mullahs, Muftis, Sheikhs, Faqihs, Caliphs, Ayatollahs, and Qadis.

Answer 3

The Iman (one person, not a group noun)

Answer 4

Imams.