s. 1. (pl. ائمە) A leader. 2. A leader in public worship of Islam, (not a priest, but a man instructed in his duty). 3. A chief; a teacher; a chief of a sect. 4. A prophet. 5. A successor of Muhammed as chief of the Muslims, otherwise called caliph. 6. (With the Shi’a sect) one of twelve successors of Muhammed in the line of 'Ali, as follows, viz: ١- علی المرتضی بن ابی طالب. ٢- الحسن بن علی المرتضی. ٣- الحسین بن علی المرتضی. ٤- علی بن الحسین زین العابدین. ٥- محمد بن علی زین العابدین الباقر. ٦- جعفر بن محمد الباقر الصادق. ٧- موسی بن جعفر الصادق لكاظم. ٨- علی بن موسی الكاظم الرضی. ٩- محمد بن علی الرضی التقی. ١٠- علی بن محمد التقی النقی. ١١- الحسن بن علی التقی الزكی العسكری. ١٢- محمد بن الحسن الزكی المهدی الامام المنتظر. The last named having disappeared to return as final judge of the world, there can be no more Imams in this sense. 7. A lieutenant, of which there are two at a time, of the chief ( قطب or غوث) of the mystical saints of God on earth. 8. The direction of Mekka. 9. A builder’s line or rule. 10. A pattern; a model, especially, one of the model copies of the Qur’an, originally dis-tributed by the caliph 'Umar. 11. The Qur’an; also, any book of scripture; also, a register; also, any book. 12. A schoolboy’s daily task. 13. A road or path.