Emir - Princely, Ministerial and Noble Titles

Princely, Ministerial and Noble Titles

• The monarchs of Qatar and Kuwait are currently titled Emirs.
• The caliphs first used the title Amir al-Muminin or "Commander of the Faithful", stressing their leadership over all Islam, especially in the military form of jihad; both this command and the title have been assumed by various other Muslim rulers, including Sultans and Emirs. For Shiite Muslims, they still give this title to the Caliph Ali as Amir al Muminin.
• The Abbasid (in theory still universal) Caliph Ar-Radi created the post of Amir al-Umara ("Amir of the Amirs") for Ibn Raik; the title was used in various Islamic monarchies; see below for military use
• In Lebanon, the ruling Emir formally used the style al-Amir al-Hakim since, specifying it was still a ruler's title. Note that the title was held by Christians as well.
• The word Emir is also used less formally for leaders in certain contexts. For example, the leader of a group of pilgrims to Mecca is called an Emir hadji, a title sometimes used by ruling princes (as a mark of Muslim piety) which is sometimes awarded in their name. Where an adjectival form is necessary, "Emiral" suffices.
• Amirzade, the son (hence the Persian patronymic suffix -zade) of a prince, hence the Persian princely title Mirza.
• The traditional rulers of the predominantly Muslim northern regions of Nigeria are known as Emirs, while the titular sovereign of their now defunct empire is formally styled as the Sultan of Sokoto, Amir-al-Muminin (or Sarkin Musulmi in the Hausa language).
• The temporal leader of the Yazidi people is known as an Emir or Prince.