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إِِمَامٌ أمام إِمام امام A person, (S, Mgh,) or learned man, (Msb,) whose example is followed, or who is imitated; (S, Mgh, Msb;) any exemplar, or object of imitation, (T, M, K,) to a people, or company of men, (T,) such as a head, chief, or leader, or some other person, (M, K,) whether they be following the right way or be erring therefrom: (T:) applied alike to a male and to a female: (Mgh, Msb:) applied to a female, it occurs in a phrase in which it is written by some with ة: (Mgh:) but this is said to be a mistake: (Msb:) it is correctly without ة, because it is a subst., not an epithet: (Mgh, Msb:) or it is allowable with ة, because it implies the meaning of an epithet: (Msb:) and ↓ أُمَّةٌ signifies the same: (T, M, K:) the pl. of the former is أَيِمَّةْ, (T, S, M, K, [but omitted in the CK,]) originally أَأْمِمَةٌ, (T, S,) of the measure أَفعِلَةٌ, like أَمْثِلَةٌ, pl. of مِثَالٌ, (T,) but as two meems come together, the former is incorporated into the latter, and its vowel is transferred to the hemzeh before it, which hemzeh, being thus pronounced with kesr, is changed into ى; (T, S; *) or it is thus changed because difficult to pronounce; (M;) or, as Akh says, because it is with kesr and is preceded by another hemzeh with fet-h: (S:) but some pronounce it أَئِمَّةٌ, (Akh, T, S, M, K,) namely, those who hold that two hemzehs may occur together; (Akh, S;) the Koofees reading it thus in the Kur ix. 12; (M;) but this is anomalous: (M, K:) it is mentioned as on the authority of Aboo-Is-hák, and [Az says,] I do not say that it is not allowable, but the former is the preferable: (T:) or the pl. is أَئِمَّةٌ, originally أَأْمِمَةٌ like أَمْثِلَةٌ: one of the two meems being incorporated into the other after the transfer of its vowel to the hemzeh [next before it]; some of the readers of the Kur pronouncing the [said] hemzeh with its true sound; some softening it, agreeably with analogy, in the manner termed بَيْنَ بَيْنَ; and some of the grammarians changing it into ى; but some of them reckon this incorrect, saying that there is no analogical reason for it: (Msb:) and accord. to some, (M,) its pl. is also إِِمَامُ, (M, K,) like the sing., (K,) occurring in the Kur xxv. 74; (M;) not of the same category as عَدْلٌ (M, K) and رِضَّى, (M,) because they sometimes said إِِمَامَانِ, but a broken pl.: (M, K: *) or, accord. to A 'Obeyd, it is in this instance a sing. denoting a pl.: (M, S: *) or it is pl. of آمٌّ, [which is originally آمِمْ,] like as صِحَابٌ is pl. of صَاحِبٌ: (M:) the dim. of أَيِمَّةٌ is ↓ أُوَيْمَّةْ ; or, as El-Mázinee says, ↓ أُيَيْمَّةٌ . (S.) ― -b2- الإِمَامُ also signifies The Prophet: (K:) he is called إِِمَامُ [the exemplar, object of imitation, leader, or head, of his nation, or people]; (T;) or إِِمَامُ الأمَّةِ [the exemplar, &c., of the nation, or people]; (M;) it being incumbent on all to imitate his rule of life or conduct. (T.) ― -b3- The Khaleefeh: (Msb, K:) he is called إِمَامُ الرَّعِيَّةِ [the exemplar, &c., of the people, or subjects]. (M.) The title of الإِمَامُ is still applied to the Kings of El-Yemen: Aboo-Bekr says, you say, فُلَانٌ إِِمَامُ القَوْمِ, meaning such a one is the first in authority over the people, or company of men: and إِِمَامُ المَسْلِمِينَ means the head, chief, or leader, of the Muslims. (TA.) ― -b4- The person whose example is followed, or who is imitated, [i. e. the leader,] in prayer. (Msb.) ― -b5- [The leading authority, or head, of a persuasion, or sect. The four أيِمَّة or أَئِمَّة are the heads of the four principal persuasions, or sects, of the Sunnees; namely, the Hanafees, Sháfi'ees, Málikees, and Hambelees. And the Hanafees call the two chief doctors of their persuasion, after Aboo- Haneefeh, namely, Aboo-Yoosuf and Mohammad, الإِِمَامَانِ The two Imáms.] ― -b6- The leader of an army. (M, K.) ― -b7- The guide: (K:) he is called إِِمَامُ الإِِبِلِ [the leader of the travellers]. (M.) ― -b8- The conductor, or driver, of camels (M, K) is called إِِمَامُ الإِِبِلِ, though he be behind them, because he guides them. (M.) ― -b9- The manager, or conductor, and right disposer, orderer, or rectifier, of anything. (M, K. *) ― -b10- The Kur-án (M, K) is called إِِمَامُ المُسْلِمينَ [the guide of the Muslims]; (M;) because it is an exemplar. (TA.) [The model-copy, or standard-copy, of the Kur-án, namely the copy of the Khaleefeh 'Othmán, is particularly called الإِِمَامُ.] ― -b11- [The scripture of any people: and, without the article, a book, or written record.] It is said in the Kur [xvii. 73], يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ The day when we shall call every one of mankind with their scripture: or, as some say, with their prophet and their law: or, as some say, with their book in which their deeds are recorded. (T.) It is also said in the Kur [xxxvi. 11], كُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِى إِِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ, meaning, says El-Hasan, [And everything have we recorded] in a perspicuous book, or writing; (S, Jel;) i. e., on the Preserved Tablet. (Bd, Jel.) ― -b12- The lesson of a boy, that is learned each day (T, M, K) in the school: (T:) also called السَّبَقُ. (TA.) ― -b13- The model, or pattern, of a semblance, or shape. (M, K.) ― -b14- The builder's wooden instrument [or rule] whereby he makes the building even. (S, K. *) ― -b15- The cord which the builder extends to make even, thereby, the row of stones or bricks of the building; also called التُّرُّ and المِطْهَرُ; (T;) the string which is extended upon, or against, a building, and according to which one builds. (M, K. *) ― -b16- إِِمَامٌ signifies also A road, or way: (S, [but omitted in some copies,] M, K:) or a manifest road, or way. (TA.) It is said in the Kur [xv. 79], وَ إِِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ (S, M) And they were both, indeed, in a way pursued and manifest: (M:) or in a way which they travelled in their journeys. (Fr.) ― -b17- The direction (تَلْقَآء) of the Kibleh. (M, K. *) ― -b18- A tract, quarter, or region, of land, or of the earth. (S.) ― -b19- A string [of a bow or lute &c.]; syn. وَتَرٌ. (Sgh, K.)
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.
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