The institution of the ‘Ulama’: origin and early development in the formative period

• Main Author: Gilani, Sayyid Muhammad Yunus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Peshawar 2010
• Subjects: BP55 By period
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/2690/1/gilani_2010v1.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/2690/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

There is no religious hierarchy or priestly class in Islam. However, despite the absence of any church, priests and sacraments1, with the passage of time there emerged in the Muslim world a class of religious luminaries who possessed legislative, social and political authority. These scholars or rel...