Emir

Emir (also sometimes rendered as Amir or Ameer, Arabic: أمير commander) is a title of nobility historically used in Islamic nations of the Middle East and North Africa. Originally it was a title of honor given to descendants of Muhammad via his daughter Fatima Zahra. Centuries after the time of Muhammad it became used in a wider range of contexts, such as the title used by chieftains of Bedouins of Arabia and by nobles and officials of the Ottoman Empire.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Caliphs used the title emir ul-mu'mineen, "Commander of the Faithful". The Western naval rank admiral comes from the Arabic expression amir al-bahr, "sea commander."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emir is also the term used by the Kuwaiti al-Sabah dynasty to refer to their ruling monarch since their independence on June 19, 1961. Qatar likewise uses this title since 1971, and Bahrain did so from 1971 to 2002.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Arabic and Persian :

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• a country ruled by an independent emir is an emirate, as in the United Arab Emirates (but there part of an elective, federal monarchy).
• Another meaning of the word "emir" is prince, specifically, the male descendant of a sovereign, as in the sultanate of the Maldives (besides the native title Manippulu). In some states it could mean "crown prince" (more typically Wali al-Ahd). For example, before the crowning as King Abdullah of Jordan, the son of King Hussein was still referred to as "Emir Abdullah" (in this case a obsolete title of the dynasty, which adopted the higher title of Malik = king).

Emir is also a common Muslim male name in Bosnia, taken from Arabic, just as the Latin Rex in the West.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emir: Related Articles ►



 

Arabic: redirect Arabic language...

Islamic: REDIRECT Islam...

Middle East: The Middle East (also called Southwestern Asia) is a region comprising the lands that extend from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a subregion of Africa-Eurasia, or more specifically, Asia, and sometimes North Africa and Afghanistan....




Emir related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Emir

A Picturesque Member of a Circassian Guard Who Is One of Emir's Bodyguards