Mullahs, Imams and Sheiks (Shayks)

[glennmac]

What do these titles mean? How are they earned or awarded? What powers or authority do they confer?

 

[Harv]

Glenn -

This doesn't fully answer your question, but here's the simple definitions:

mullah also mulla n. Islam A male religious teacher or leader.

imam: a religious leader. In Sunni Islam, the person who leads prayers in the mosque. In Shi'ite Islam, the direct-line successor to Muhammad via his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali (in which case it is capitalized).

shaykh (also sheikh, sheik): a title applied to the patriarch of a Muslim family group; also used as a term of respect for religious leaders and elders.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

And, in the case of most of the current crop appearing on TV, the dipshut who can keep a crappy diaper atop his head with a used fan belt.
The title seems to be about as relevent to Islamic clerics as the title Cournel is to some of the people calling themselves auctioneers.