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Ayatollah
Ayatollah (‘Sign of God’) is a religious leader in Twelver Shi’a Islam.
How this term should be used
The term should not be used other than as a title of a specific person. It is not interchangeable with other terms used for Islamic scholars, and is never used for those from the Sunni tradition.
Ayatollah is an honorific title given to outstanding religious scholars in Twelver Shi’a Islam. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Islam, it’s use is limited to religious leaders in Iran, and it is not used in Shi’a communities in Lebanon, Pakistan, or India. It’s use in Iraqi communities is limited to legal scholars of Iranian origin.