List of Ismaili titles

List of titles used by the followers of Ismailism, a branch of Shia Islam.

The titles are of Persian and Arabic origin.

Nizari Ismaili titles

Alamut period

The hierarchy (hudūd) of the organization of the Nizari Ismailis of the Alamut period was as follows:

• Imām (امام), the descendants of Nizar
• Dā'ī ad-Du'āt (داعی الدعات literally "Da'i of the Da'is"), "Chief Da'i"
• Dā'ī kabīr (داعی کبیر) – "Superior Da'i", "Great Da'i"
• Dā'ī (داعی, literally "missionary") – "Ordinary Da'i", "Da'i"
• Rafīq (رفیق, literally "companion, assistance, fellow-traveler"), plural rafīqān (رفیقان)
• Lāṣiq (لاصق, literally "adherent"). Lasiqs had to swear a special oath of obedience to the Imam.
• Fidā'ī (فدائی, literally "self-sacrificer")

Imam and da'is were the elites, while the majority of the sect consisted of the last three grades who were peasants and artisans.^[1]

Other titles include:

The titles Bābā (بابا; Persian equivalent of the Arabic Shaykh, "Old Man") and Sayyidinā (Sayyidnā) (سیدنا; literally "Our Lord" or "Our Master") was used by the Nizaris to refer to Hassan-i Sabbah.^[2]

• Shaykh al-Jabal or the Old Man of the Mountain

• Kiyā (کیا) – a ruler^[3] or commander. Notably held by Buzurg-Ummid.
• Muhtasham^[4] (محتشم) – a governor of Quhistan.^[5]
• Mahdī - the rightly guided one
• Qāim - the one who rises
• Nāṭiq (ناطق) - the messenger-prophet
• Waṣī (وصي) - the prophet's "legatee"
• Bāb - literally "gate"
• Hujjah - literally "proof"

Other periods

• Dā'ī al-Balagh - regional missionary
• Dā'ī al-Mutlaq - absolute missionary
• Mādhun - assistant
• Mukāsir - debater
• Shaykh - elder in Arabic
• Pīr - senior elder in Persian
• Mukhi - headman
• Kāmādia - treasurer
• Vāras/Vizier - minister
• Aāmilsaheb - agent
• Shāhzāda - prince
• Allāma - scholar
• Mu'allim - teacher
• Mullāh - lesser elder in Persian
• President - national leadership title
• Amīr - commander
• Amīr al-mu'minīn - commander of the faithful
• Begum - noble lady
• Māta Salāmat - Mother of Peace
• Sayyid - descendant
• Hakīm - doctor
• Khwājah - master
• Mawlānā - our master
• Murshid - guide-master
• Wali - guardian
• Qādī - judge
• Murīd - follower
• Mustajib - respondent
• Hājī - pilgrim
• Khalif - deputy
• Sitt - noble lady

Other titles

• Aga Khan^[6]