Ustad

Ustād or Ustāth (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian wikt:استاد) is an honorific title for a man used in the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages of the Muslim World, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Turkish and Kurdish languages.

Usage

The title precedes the name and was historically usually used for well-regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians (meaning 'master'), and is applied and used via informal social agreement.

Aside from the honorific, the word is generally used by its literal meaning to refer to any teacher, master or expert in Urdu.

In Persian and in the Arabic-speaking world, it also refers to a university professor.

The title is also used for qualified Islamic scholars in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. In these countries the title is officially spelt "ustaz", but commonly pronounced "ustad". It is a direct equivalent of terms such as Shaykh in the Arab world, and Mawlānā in the Indian Subcontinent. In the Maldives, the title is used by people who possess a bachelor's degree or above in the field of law.