Is It Permissible to Be Called “Maulana”? Clarification with Qur’anic and Hadith Proofs
Reference: Fatāwā Rashidiyyah, Page 512
❖ The Question
A scholar recited the last verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah:
﴿أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾…البقرة﴾
From this, he deduced that it is impermissible to be called “Maulana.”
Is this deduction correct?
❖ The Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
The deduction that it is impermissible to be called “Maulana” based on this verse is incorrect.
In reality, being addressed as “Maulana” is permissible.
The reasoning made from this verse is not valid because “Maulā” is a shared term (lafẓ mushtarak) that carries several different meanings. Therefore, the word is used in different contexts with different implications.
✔ Meaning and Usage of “Maulā”
The meaning of “Maulā” varies depending on the context. As clarified in al-Nihāyah:
"وفى النهاية: المولى يقع على جماعة كثيرة كالرب، والمالك، والسيد، والمنعم، والمعتق، والناصر، والمحب، والتابع، والجار، وابن العم، والحليف، والمقيد، والمهرو، والعبد، والمنعم عليه.”
That is, the word “Maulā” can be used for:
① Lord
② Owner
③ Master
④ Benefactor
⑤ Liberator
⑥ Helper
⑦ Lover
⑧ Follower
⑨ Neighbor
⑩ Cousin
⑪ Ally
⑫ Captive
⑬ Husband
⑭ Slave
⑮ One who receives favor
This itself is proof of its multiple meanings and that it can be applied to different individuals.
✔ The Prophet ﷺ Using “Maulā” for Other Than Allah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also used the term “Maulā” for other than Allah, as reported in the Hadith:
"عن زيد بن أرقم عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: من كنت مولاه فعلى مولاه.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Manāqib, ḥadīth no. 3713)
In this narration, the single word “Maulā” was applied both to the Prophet ﷺ and to ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) at the same time and in the same sense.
This proves that using the term “Maulā” for someone other than Allah is permissible.
If it were impermissible, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would never have used it for anyone else.
✔ Additional Proof from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
Another supporting evidence is found in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
"عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا يقل أحدكم أطعم ربك وضئ ربك، وليقل سيدى ومولاى.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-ʿItq, ḥadīth no. 2552)
In this Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ instructed:
Do not say to anyone “feed your Lord” or “perform ablution for your Lord.” Instead, say “Sayyidī” (my master) and “Mawlāy” (my lord/maulana).
This further clarifies that words like “Maulā” and “Maulana” can indeed be used for others besides Allah.
✿ Conclusion
The Qur’anic verse cannot be used as proof to prohibit the title “Maulana.”
Rather, evidence from Hadith establishes that the usage of this term for human beings is permissible.
ھذا ما عندی، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
