IMAUM, or IMAN, a minister in the Mahommedan church, answering to a parish priest amongst us. The word properly signifies what we call a prelate, antistes, one who presides over others; but the Moslems frequently apply it to a person who has the care and indentity of a mosque, and reads prayers to the people, which they repeat after him.

IMAM is also applied, by way of excellence, to the four chiefs or founders of the four principal sects in the Mahommedan religion. Thus Ali is the imam of the Persians; Abu-beker the imam of the Soonites, which is the sect followed by the Turks; and Saphii, or Safi-y, the imam of another sect.