Mawlawi (Islamic title)

Mawlawi (also spelled Maulvi, Moulvi, and Mawlvi; Arabic: مولوی) is an honorific Islamic religious title given to Muslim religious scholars or Ulema preceding their names, similar to the titles Maulana, Mullah, or Shaykh. Mawlawi generally means highly qualified Islamic scholar. Usually, a Maulvi would have completed full studies in a madrassa (Islamic school) or Darul Uloom (Islamic seminary). It is commonly used throughout the Persian- including Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and East Africa. The word Mawlawi/Maulvi is derived from the Arabic word mawla, which has several meanings, including "lord".