the.com/imam
An imam leads Muslim prayers and often guides a mosque's religious community.
means A Muslim leader who guides prayer and often leads a mosque community in religious and sometimes civic matters.
from From Arabic 'imam,' meaning 'leader' or 'one who stands in front,' rooted in the verb 'amma,' 'to go before' or 'lead the way.' The word captures the literal posture of the role: the imam physically stands ahead of the rows of worshippers, facing the same direction as them, setting the pace of bowing and rising that everyone else follows.
- job description
- Leads prayer by standing slightly ahead of everyone
- shia meaning
- Can mean divinely appointed infallible successor to Muhammad
- qualification
- Best Quran reciter often wins by default, not vote
- etymology
- Arabic root means one who stands in front