Editing Mullah (section)

==Training and duties==
Ideally, a trained mullah will have studied the traditional Islamic sciences not limited to:
* Classical Arabic
** Nahw (syntax) 
** Sarf (word morphology)
** Balaaghah (rhetoric)
** Shi'r (poetry)
** Adab (literature)
* Tarikh (history) 
* Islamic law ([[fiqh]])
** Rulings pertaining to their school of jurisprudence and the rulings of other schools of jurisprudence
** The principles of jurisprudence pertaining to their school of jurisprudence and the principles of other schools of jurisprudence
** The evidences of their school of thought for principles and rulings, the evidences of others, how they differ and why
* Islamic traditions ([[hadith]])
** Exegesis
** The principles of exegesis
* [[Aqidah]] (Islamic creed)
* Mantiq (logic)
* Ilm-ul-Kalaam (philosophy)
* ([[Quran]])
** The meanings of the Quran
** Exegesis
** the principles and rules of Quranic exegesis
* [[Tasawwuf]] (Sufism)

Some mullahs will specialise in certain fields after completing the above foundational studies. Common specialties are:
* Iftah – after which they qualify as a [[mufti]] and can issue a [[fatwa]] (legal ruling)
* Takhasus fil Hadith – specialisation in hadith studies
* Takhasus fil Aqidah – specialisation in aqidah studies

Such figures often have memorized the Quran and historically would memorise all the books they studied. However in the modern era they instead memorise the founding books of each field (sometimes in the form of poetry to aid memorisation).

Uneducated villagers may frequently classify a literate Muslim with a less than complete Islamic training as their "mullah" or religious cleric. Mullahs with varying levels of training lead prayers in mosques, deliver religious sermons, and perform religious ceremonies such as birth rites and funeral services. They also often teach in a type of Islamic school known as a [[madrasah]]. Three kinds of knowledge are applied most frequently in interpreting Islamic texts (i.e. the Quran, hadiths, etc.) for matters of [[Sharia]], i.e., Islamic law.

Mullahs have frequently been involved in politics, but only recently have they served in positions of power, since [[Shia Islamism|Shia Islamists]] [[Iranian Revolution|seized power in Iran]] in 1979.