Mawla facts for kids

Mawla (pronounced MOW-lah) is an Arabic word with many meanings. Its meaning changed over time and in different situations. Before the Islamic prophet Muhammad, it meant being part of a tribal group.

In important Islamic texts like the Quran and hadiths, Mawla can mean 'Lord', 'guardian', 'trustee', or 'helper'. After Muhammad's death, the Umayyad rulers used the term mawla to describe non-Arab people who became Muslims. These new Muslims joined Arab-Muslim society.

What Does Mawla Mean?

The word Mawla comes from an Arabic root word, w-l-y. This root means "to be close to," "to be friends with," or "to have power over."

Mawla can have opposite meanings. It can mean "master" or "freed person" (someone who was a slave but is now free). It can also mean "patron" (someone who supports another) or "client" (someone who is supported). Sometimes, it simply means "friend."

Originally, mawālī (the plural of mawla) were like clients of an Arab tribe. After Islam began, the term started to mean non-Arab Muslims. It also referred to other allies of the Muslim community.

History of Mawla

The term Mawla was first used in Arabia before Islam. It referred to slaves and freed people who were active in politics. Some early Muslims, like Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Uthman ibn Affan, owned many slaves. They also practiced freeing slaves. This practice helped create a military class of freed slaves.

Mawla During the Umayyad Period

The term Mawla became more important during the Umayyad Caliphate. Many non-Arab people became Muslims during this time. It was a challenge to include these new converts into Arab society.

The solution was a special agreement called a wala. Through this agreement, non-Arab Muslims gained an Arab patron (a mawla). These new Muslims often still paid a tax, similar to what non-Muslims paid. They were usually not allowed to work in government or the military. This continued until the end of the Umayyad Caliphate. In areas like Khorasan and Persia, Arabs held most of the high positions.

Mawla After the Abbasid Revolution

The Abbasid Revolution in 750 CE changed things. It challenged the special rights that Arabs had. A key figure in this revolution was Abu Muslim Khorasani. He was Persian and understood the feelings of the Persian majority.

The Umayyad rulers had been unfair, especially with taxes. This made many Persians dislike the Arabs. Under the Abbasid rulers in the 9th century, non-Arab converts became a big part of the army.

The wala agreement was no longer needed to join Muslim society after the Umayyads fell. The Abbasids believed Islam was for everyone, not just the Arab elite. However, as non-Arab groups gained power, the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad lost some control. Persian, Turkic, and Berber Muslims started forming their own independent states.

Abu Hanifa, a famous Islamic scholar, lived during the Abbasid Revolution. He said, "The belief of a newly converted Turk is the same as that of an Arab from Hejaz." This showed that all Muslims were equal in faith.

Even after the Abbasid Revolution, the mawla system continued on a smaller scale. Armies were sometimes made up entirely of non-Muslim slaves serving the Caliph. These slaves were seen as the Caliph's mawālī. They were thought to be more loyal than free Muslim soldiers. This practice continued for centuries, even into the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans had their own special group of non-Muslim slave soldiers called the Janissaries.

The Ghadir Khumm Event

The word "Mawla" is very important in the Ghadir Khumm event. This event is about a statement made by the Islamic prophet Muhammad concerning Ali. Muhammad said: "For whoever I am his mawla, 'Ali is his mawla."

People have different ideas about what "mawla" means in this sentence. It could mean leader, administrator, friend, Lord, owner, master, follower, helper, or ally. Shia Muslims believe that in this speech, Muhammad meant "leader." They see this as Muhammad officially naming Ali as his successor.

See also

In Spanish: Mawla para niños