Typically refers to the person who leads the congregational prayers in a mosque, delivers the Friday sermon (khutbah), and provides daily religious guidance and education to the local community.
However, historically, it is also used as a prestigious title of high spiritual, scholarly, or religious leadership bestowed upon monumental figures in Islamic history, jurisprudence, or theology (e.g., Imam Hussain, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Al-Bukhari).
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