Understanding the Use of “Sir” in Reference to Scholars: A Cultural Perspective

Why “Sir” Is Not an Appropriate Title for Religious Scholars

Question: You told someone that the word “Sir” should not be used, as it is meant for schoolteachers, but when I shared this with my colleagues, they said it is just a linguistic difference and that “Sir” is used to show respect, so it can be used for a scholar or teacher. I personally don’t feel comfortable using “Sir” either, but how can I explain this to my colleagues? Please help me in this matter.

Answer: The word “Sir” is an English term typically used for those connected to secular education or professionals in worldly professions. As for scholars of Islam, using “Sir” for them is not appropriate because they are leaders in religious matters. If you look at books written in various languages about scholars, even English books, you will not find “Sir” being used for scholars. If it were appropriate, we would see its use in English literature, but we don’t. In every language, scholars are referred to with titles like “Shaykh,” and in Urdu or Hindi, terms like “Maulana” or “Hazrat” are used.

To illustrate this issue from another perspective, if you call a lawyer, engineer, or professor “Maulana” or “Shaykh,” they would never be pleased with it, just as a police officer would not appreciate being called “Maulana.” Similarly, calling a scholar “Sir” is not fitting for religious scholars. The reality is, using “Sir” for scholars is incorrect, and if more scholars pointed this out as I do, people would stop using it for scholars.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail