List of Ismaili titles

List of titles used by the followers of Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam.

The titles are of Persian and Arabic origin.

Nizari Ismaili titles

Alamut period

The hierarchy (hudūd) of the organization of the Nizari Ismailis of the Alamut period was as follows:

• Imām (), the descendants of Nizar
• Dā'Ä« ad-Du'āt ( literally "Da'i of the Da'is"), "Chief Da'i"
• Dā'Ä« kabÄ«r () – "Superior Da'i", "Great Da'i"
• Dā'Ä« (, literally "missionary") – "Ordinary Da'i", "Da'i"
• RafÄ«q (, literally "companion, assistance, fellow-traveler"), plural rafÄ«qān ()
• Lāṣiq (, literally "adherent"). Lasiqs had to swear a special oath of obedience to the Imam.
• Fidā'Ä« (, literally "self-sacrificer")

Imam and da'is were the elites, while the majority of the sect consisted of the last three grades who were peasants and artisans.

Other titles include:

The titles Bābā (; Persian equivalent of the Arabic Shaykh, "Old Man") and Sayyidinā (Sayyidnā) (; literally "Our Lord" or "Our Master") was used by the Nizaris to refer to Hassan-i Sabbah.

• Shaykh al-Jabal or the Old Man of the Mountain

• Kiyā () – a ruler or commander. Notably held by Buzurg-Ummid.
• Muhtasham () – a governor of Quhistan.
• MahdÄ« - the rightly guided one
• Qāim - the one who rises
• Nāṭiq (ناطق) - the messenger-prophet
• Waṣī (وصي) - the prophet's "legatee"
• Bāb - literally "gate"
• Hujjah - literally "proof"

Other periods

• Dā'Ä« al-Balagh - regional missionary
• Dā'Ä« al-Mutlaq - absolute missionary
• Mādhun - assistant
• Mukāsir - debater
• Shaykh - elder in Arabic
• PÄ«r - senior elder in Persian
• Mukhi - headman
• Kāmādia - treasurer
• Vāras/Vizier - minister
• Aāmilsaheb - agent
• Shāhzāda - prince
• Allāma - scholar
• Mu'allim - teacher
• Mullāh - lesser elder in Persian
• President - national leadership title
• AmÄ«r - commander
• AmÄ«r al-mu'minÄ«n - commander of the faithful
• Begum - noble lady
• Māta Salāmat - Mother of Peace
• Sayyid - descendant
• HakÄ«m - doctor
• Khwājah - master
• Mawlānā - our master
• Murshid - guide-master
• Wali - guardian
• QādÄ« - judge
• MurÄ«d - follower
• Mustajib - respondent
• HājÄ« - pilgrim
• Khalif - deputy
• Sitt - noble lady

Other titles

• Aga Khan

References