MEI - Taliban

NOTES ON NAMES AND TITLES

This mapping acknowledges the interchangeable usage of the honorific religious titles "Mullah" and "Mawlawi," both symbolizing an Islamic cleric or scholar, mosque custodian, educator, or revered religious authority within the Islamic faith. Within the Taliban hierarchy, the title "Mullah" is more commonly used by individuals from southern and southwestern Afghanistan, while "Mawlawi" is typically used by those from the eastern and northwestern regions of the country, albeit exceptions apply in both cases. The title "Mufti" denotes Islamic jurists and legal experts who interpret Sharia law, while the designations "Qari" and "Hafiz" are commonly used for individuals who have memorized the Quran.

The surname "Haqqani" suggests two main meanings. It may indicate familial ties, kinship, or group affiliation with the Haqqani clan or the Haqqani Network, a U.S.-designated terrorist group founded by the late anti-Soviet jihadist Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose son, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, currently serves as the Taliban’s Minister of Interior. Alternatively, “Haqqani” can function as an honorific used by graduates of the Darul Uloom Haqqania, a prominent Islamic seminary in Akora Khattak, Pakistan, known for its teaching of Hanafi jurisprudence. Many senior Taliban figures educated there also use titles such as “Sheikh ul Quran" and "Sheikh ul Hadith.”

All listed individuals holding official positions (except the Taliban Emir) were reportedly serving in an "acting" capacity until mid-August 2025. On August 15, 2025, the Taliban announced that the Emir had decreed all ministers and officials should drop the term "acting" from their titles.

Updated May 2026