Mawlah

Mawlah

 

in pre-Islamic Arabia and the early Arabian Caliphate, both a freedman enjoying the protection of his former master (patron) and the patron himself, who offered this protection. The freedman was designated mawlat-al-asfal (the lowlier mawlah) and the patron was designated mawlat-al-ala (the higher mawlah). The term mawlah is also used in direct address as a synonym for sayyid (lord, sir) and as a title for monarchs (for example, mawlah or mulai in Morocco) and venerable clergy (whence mullah).