imam
Other forms: imams
An imam is a Muslim religious leader. If you’re curious about a mosque, go talk to the imam, the person who leads the prayers.
For a Sunni Muslim, the imam is a religious leader who provides community service and sometimes counseling. To a Shi'a Muslim, an imam is even more important—he is one of the central religious figures. Shi'a believe that God has chosen the imam to be a "perfect example" to everyone else and that an imam is free from sin. The literal meaning of imam in Arabic is "one who proceeds," from amma, "to go before."
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(Islam) the man who leads prayers in a mosque; for Shiites an imam is a recognized authority on Islamic theology and law and a spiritual guide
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Vocabulary lists containing imam
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