IMAM. - An Arabic term, from the root 'mm ("to direct oneself toward a place," "to march at the head"), meaning "guide," antistes. In Islam, it designates: 1) the one who stands before the faithful in prayer and serves as a model in the movements; 2) the head of the community (who originally also fulfilled the preceding function). For the Sunnis this head is the caliph, on whose requirements and prerogatives see CALIPH AND CALIPHATE. The conception of the i. underwent a particular development among the Shī'ites: he must belong to the family of Muhammad; the divinity assists him (moderate Shī'ites), or is immanent in him in a particle of light (middle Shī'ites), or is even identified with him (extreme Shī'ites). On this see ISLAM, the sects. The term i. can moreover be applied to any leader, and has been used in particular for the founders of the four orthodox legal rites.
BibliographyC. Huart, s. v. in Encyclopédie de l'Islam, II, p. 503 (with bibl.). Cf. also the bibl. of the entries cited above.
BIBL.: C. Huart, s. v. in Encyclopédie de l'Islam, II, p. 503 (with bibl.). Cf. also the bibl. of the entries cited above.
Moscati, Sabatino. “Imam.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VI, col. 1639. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951. https://azioneromana.com/article/imam.
MLA
Moscati, Sabatino. “Imam.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VI, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1951, col. 1639. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/imam.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec6_imam,
author = {Moscati, Sabatino},
title = {Imam},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {VI},
pages = {1639},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1951},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/imam}
}
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