Is it permissible to address someone who has not memorized the entire Qur’an as “Sheikh So-and-so”?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The word "Sheikh" is used, customarily and linguistically, to denote several meanings, including a scholar, or a specialist in the sciences of , or an elder, or a person of religious devotion, or a dignified individual. Therefore, there is no religious impediment to using it for someone who has not memorized the entire Quran, especially if they possess some of these qualities.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/88427
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 88427
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy