Mawali
/məˈwɑːliː/noun
A term for non-Arab converts to Islam, especially those attached as clients to Arab tribes or patrons in early Islamic society.
Did you know?The singular *mawlā* could refer to either a protector or the person protected, reflecting a social bond whose two sides were linguistically treated as one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*w-l-y
“To be near, remain close, or be connected”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
walī
“A close associate, protector, patron, or ally”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
mawlā
“A person bound by a protective or client relationship; also a patron or protector”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
mawālī
“Non-Arab clients, freedpeople, and converts attached to Arab Muslim patrons or tribes”
19th–20th Century
English
mawali
“A historical term used in English scholarship for these client communities”