mulay (title)
{{Short description|Honorary title given to the rulers of Moroccan states}}
:
Moulay (Arabic: مولايّ mawlāyy) is a title of nobility given to members of the Sharifian dynasties of Morocco, namely, the Saadi Sultanate and the current rulling Alawi dynasty.{{Cite book |last=Campo |first=Juan Eduardo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZbyz_Hr-eIC |title=Encyclopedia of Islam |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-2696-8 |page=481 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Loterre: PN Terminology: Abd al-Raḥmān, sultan of Morocco, 1778-1859 |url=https://skosmos.loterre.fr/JVN/en/page/-ZV20RGM1-7 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=skosmos.loterre.fr |publisher=Linked Open TERminology REsources}} The title is worn by the male members of those dynasties, who historically claimed to be descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.{{Cite book |last=Esposito |first=John L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6VeCWQfVNjkC&dq=mawla+++mullah+++mawlay+++moulay+++Morocco&pg=PA197 |title=The Oxford Dictionary of Islam |date=2003-05-15 |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA |isbn=978-0-19-512559-7 |page=197 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Hoiberg |first=Dale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISFBJarYX7YC&q=Mawla+++Mawlay+++Moulay+++Morocco&pg=PA32 |title=Students' Britannica India |date=2000 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-0-85229-760-5 |language=en}}
The title itself could be translated to "My lord", it has roots from the Arabic mawlā 'master'.{{Citation |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |title=Moulay Idriss |date=2018-09-20 |work=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191866326.001.0001/acref-9780191866326-e-4962 |access-date=2024-05-02 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191866326.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-186632-6|url-access=subscription }}
The most important figures currently holding this title are:
- Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince of Morocco
- Moulay Rachid, Prince of Morocco and second in the line of succession to the Moroccan throne
- Moulay Hicham, Prince of Morocco and son of Prince Moulay Abdallah of Morocco
The first person to hold this title was Idris I, who founded the first Moroccan dynasty in the 8th century.
Its equivalent title for female member of Sharifian dynasties is Lalla.