Imam (Prayer Leader)
The person who leads the congregational prayer at the mosque.
Imam (Arabic: إمام) means "leader" or "role model" and in the context of prayer refers to the person who leads the congregational prayer (salah) at the mosque. The imam stands at the front and the worshippers follow his movements.
Any adult Muslim with sufficient knowledge of the prayer and the Quran can serve as imam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The one who has the most knowledge of Allah's Book should lead the prayer. If they are equal in this, then the one who has the most knowledge of the sunnah."
In many mosques, the imam is a full-time employed religious leader who also teaches, counsels and delivers sermons (khutbah). Imams play an important role in the Muslim community as religious guides and bridge-builders.
Related terms
Taqwa (God-Consciousness)
God-consciousness and piety — the ultimate goal of prayer and worship.
Ijtihad (Independent Legal Reasoning)
The independent interpretive effort to derive legal rules from the Islamic sources.
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory for every Muslim with the ability.
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Minaret (Prayer Tower)
The mosque's tower, from which the adhan (call to prayer) is traditionally recited.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.