IMÁM is the name given to the priest who leads the prayers of a Mahometan congregation, and is exactly equivalent to Antistes. In the Koran, chap. ii. v. 118, it is said of Abraham, “Verily, I will set thee as an imâm (high priest or model) for men.” In Turkey the imâm, besides his function as a minister, performs the rites of circumcision, marriage, and burial. He is distinguished only by avoiding gay colours in his dress and wearing a white turban. In Persia the imâm is also called a mujtahid; he has no secular duties. The title has been always borne by the caliphs or successors of Mahomet, the earlier ones having, like the Prophet himself, conducted the services in person, and addressed the people in a khutbah or homily on the great weekly gathering on Fridays. The title thus came to signify head of the faith, and as such is claimed and used by the present sultans of the 0smanli dynasty in Turkey, the last of the legitimate caliphs, El Mutawakkel, having in 1517 a.d. ceded his prerogatives to Selim I., the first Ottoman sultan, and his heirs. The caliphate (see Caliph) is also called El Imamah, the imamate. The Shiah sect hold that the office of imâm was specially assigned by Mahomet to Ali ibn Abi Tâlib, his cousin and son-in law, and passed from him to his legitimate male issue by Fatima Mahomet’s daughter. The first imâm then was Ali; the next two were Ali’s sons Hasan and Husein (see Hasan); then came Ali Zein el 'Abidin, son of Husein. His son Zeid founded the sect called the Zeid-iyeh, who recognized him as imâm. This sect split into two subdivisions, one of which declared that the imâm ought to be designated by his predecessor, the other that the imamate was elective, but must be confined to the descendants of Fatima. The twelve imâms ...