A title which means ‘Commander of the Faithful.’
Although it has been used throughout Islamic history by caliphs to signify their claim to authority and continues to be used today in much of the Arab world to denote their kings and political leaders of their state, in Shi’āh thought, this title is reserved only for the 1st ImāmDirect translation: Leader. In Sunni Islam, Imāms are the leaders of the Muslim community who lead prayers, provide guidance and help run communities. In the Shi’ah faith, the Imāms are the infallible, divinely appointed leaders... More, ʿAlī ibn Abi Tālib (ʿa)An abbreviation for the Arabic ‘Alayhi salām’ or ‘Alayhā salām’, which translates to: ‘Peace and blessings be upon him/her.’ Follows the name of a maʿsūm (infallible, according to Shi’ah belief) - including all of the... More. It cannot be used even for any of the other eleven Imāms which came after him.
