Ahl al-ḥall wa-l-ʿaqd - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
Zaman, Muhammad Qasim
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Leiden
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Brill
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
(2,424 words)
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Ahl al-ḥall wa-l-ʿaqd , the "people who loosen and bind," is a term commonly used by classical scholars to signify those members of the religious and the political elite whom they expect to play some role in the selection and deposition of the ruler, though some classical and modern commentators assign a broader range of functions to those encompassed by this term. 1. Functions According to classical Sunnī jurists and theologians, the head of the Muslim community, the imām , acquired his position either through being designated by his