dervish
A member of one of the religious fraternities of Islam that were characterized by spirituality, a mystical relationship with the divine, and a modest way of life. The most known among the dervish orders in the Ottoman Empire are the Mevlevi and the Bektashi.

fetva
A written consultory response on religious matters which is edicted by the müfti.

imam
A spiritual and religious leader in Islamic communities. He' s the head of a mosque and a preacher. In shiite tradition this term refers to the leader of the faithful, without seperating the spiritual/religious jurisdictions from the socio-political ones.

kadi
Office that combinbed judicial, notarial and administrative duties. The kadi, who held court at the kaza's seat, registered all legal acts and documents in the court's codices (sicil). The kadi passed judgement based on the saria (the holy law of Islam), taking also into consideration the kanun (sultanic law) and the customary law (örf). Resort to his court had all the subjects of the Empire. The kadi had also administrative duties, which he performed in collaboration with the officials of the kaza., and he had to supervise tax collection.

muezzin
A muslim at the service of a mosque, who invites by chanting from the minaret, the believers to participate in prayer.

sheikulislam
The highest rank of interpreter of the religious law (mouftis) in the Ottoman empire and the head of the ulemas' corps. His decisions had the validity of a law.

ulema
A graduate of an Islamic religious-school (medrese) who has the prospect of becoming a kadi (religious judge) or a moufti (interpreter of the religious law), an imam or to occupy some other religious office.