Mawla

Mawlā (Arabic: مَوْلَى; IPA: [maw.laː], plural mawālī مَوَالِي; [ma.waː.liː]), is a polysemous Arabic word, whose meaning varied in different periods and contexts. Depending on the context, it could mean master, protector, ally, one with authority, a close associate, friend, supporter, or one deserving loyalty and affection. Before the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the term applied to any form of tribal association. In the Quran and hadiths it is used in multiple senses, including 'lord', 'guardian', and 'trustee'. After Muhammad's death, the Umayyad dynasty accepted new converts to Islam into Arab-Muslim society and the word mawali gained currency as an appellation for converted non-Arab Muslims in the early Islamic caliphates.