The body of Mullahs (Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law) who are the interpreters of Islam's sciences and doctrines and laws and the chief guarantors of continuity in the spiritual and intellectual history of the Islamic community.

synonym: ulama.

Roget 996: clergy, clericals, ministry, priesthood, presbytery, the cloth, the desk.    clergyman, divine, ecclesiastic, churchman, priest, presbyter, hierophant^†, pastor, shepherd, minister; father, father in Christ; padre, abbe, cure; patriarch; reverend; black coat; confessor.    dignitaries of the church; ecclesiarch^†, hierarch^†; ebdomarius [Lat.]; eminence, reverence, elder, primate, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop, prelate, diocesan, suffragan^†, dean, subdean^†, archdeacon, prebendary, canon, rural dean, rector, parson, vicar, perpetual curate, residentiary^†, beneficiary, incumbent, chaplain, curate; deacon, deaconess; preacher, reader, lecturer; capitular^†; missionary, propagandist, Jesuit, revivalist, field preacher.    churchwarden, sidesman^†; clerk, precentor^†, choir; almoner, suisse [Fr.], verger, beadle, sexton, sacristan; acolyth^†, acolothyst^†, acolyte, altar boy; chorister.    [Roman Catholic priesthood] Pope, Papa, pontiff, high priest, cardinal; ancient flamen^†, flamen^†; confessor, penitentiary; spiritual director.    cenobite, conventual, abbot, prior, monk, friar, lay brother, beadsman^†, mendicant, pilgrim, palmer; canon regular, canon secular; Franciscan, Friars minor, Minorites; Observant, Capuchin, Dominican, Carmelite; Augustinian^†; Gilbertine; Austin Friars^†, Black Friars, White Friars, Gray Friars, Crossed Friars, Crutched Friars; Bonhomme [Fr.], Carthusian, Benedictine^†, Cistercian, Trappist, Cluniac, Premonstatensian, Maturine; Templar, Hospitaler; Bernardine^†, Lorettine, pillarist^†, stylite^†.    abbess, prioress, canoness^†; religieuse [Fr.], nun, novice, postulant.    [Under the Jewish dispensation] prophet, priest, high priest, Levite; Rabbi, Rabbin, Rebbe; scribe.    [Mohammedan etc.] mullah, muezzin, ayatollah; ulema, imaum^†, imam, sheik; sufi; kahin^†, kassis^†; mufti, hadji, dervish; fakir, faquir^†; brahmin^†, guru, kaziaskier^†, poonghie^†, sanyasi^†; druid, bonze^†, santon^†, abdal^†, Lama, talapoin^†, caloyer^†.    ... show more

Roget 967: judge; justice, justiciar^†, justiciary^†; chancellor; justice of assize, judge of assize; recorder, common sergeant; puisne judge, assistant judge, county court judge; conservator of the peace, justice of the peace; J.   P.; court etc. (tribunal) 966; magistrate, police magistrate, beak [Slang]; his worship, his honor, his lordship.    jury, twelve men in a box.    Lord Chancellor, Lord Justice; Master of the Rolls, Vice Chancellor; Lord Chief Justice, Chief Baron; Mr.    Justice, Associate Justice, Chief Justice; Baron, Baron of the Exchequer.    jurat [Lat.], assessor; arbiter, arbitrator; umpire; referee, referendary^†; revising barrister; domesman^†; censor etc. (critic) 480; barmaster^†, ephor^†; grand juror, grand juryman; juryman, talesman.    archon, tribune, praetor, syndic, podesta^†, mollah^†, ulema, mufti, cadi^†, kadi^†; Rhadamanthus^†.    litigant etc. (accusation) 938.    ... show more