{{Short description|Honorific title used for a master in various languages of the Muslim world}} {{About|the honorific title|other uses|Ustaad (disambiguation){{!}}Ustaad|and|Ostad (disambiguation)}} {{Usul al-fiqh}} '''Ustad''', '''ustadh''', '''ustaz''' or '''ustadz''' (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian {{lang|fa|استاد}} ''ustād'') is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Music and society in Iran: A look at the past and present century}} Published 6 August 2006. Pages 495-512.</ref> It is used in various languages, including Persian, Arabic (as {{lang|ar|أستاذ}} ''’ustāḏ''), Azerbaijani, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Bodo (as {{IPA|''ɔsthād''}}), Dhivehi, Punjabi, Pashto, Turkish, Kazakh, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay and Kurdish.
== Etymology == The Persian word {{Lang|fa|استاد}} ({{Transliteration|fa|ustād}}) is from Middle Persian {{Lang|pal|𐫀𐫇𐫏𐫘𐫤𐫀𐫅}} ({{Transliteration|pal|awestād}}, 'master, craftsman').<ref>Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 358-61</ref>
== Usage == The title precedes the name and was historically usually used for well-regarded teachers and artists. It can be used for any sort of master of an art or occupation; for example, an acknowledged master motorcycle mechanic would be addressed as ''ustad''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Daniel Neuman|title=The Life of Music in North India|year=1980|publisher=Wayne State University Press|pages=44}}</ref> The term is also used by an apprentice (''shagerd'') for their teacher.
In Persian and in the Arabic-speaking world, it also refers to a university professor. Ustad is only used for qualified Islamic scholars in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Southern Thailand where 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 ''al-usthaadh'' (އަލްއުސްތާޛު)<ref>[http://saruna.mnu.edu.mv/jspui/handle/123456789/5806 Saruna: އަލްއުސްތާޛު މުޙައްމަދު ޖަމީލު އަވަހާރަވުން]</ref> or its abbreviation ''Uz.'' is used by people who are licensed to practice law.
==Ustad as a title in Hindustani classical music== {{See also|Hindustani classical music|Music of Afghanistan|Music of Bengal|Music of Pakistan}} Ustad (abbreviated as Ust. or Ut. or Ud. and from Persian {{lang|fa|استاد}}) is an honorific title for an expert person in Indian classical singing and instrumental playing, used for a Muslim musician. It is used in Hindustani classical music to recognize master performers. It is used as a music title. An expert other than a Hindu musician is given the title of ustad. The title is awarded to musicians by their teachers, prominent individuals, or members of their gharana in recognition of their expertise.{{cn|date=May 2026}}{{or|date=May 2026}} It is used in various languages including Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi. A Muslim woman who is an expert in Indian classical music is given the title of ''begum''; some examples include Begum Akhtar and Begum Parveen Sultana. ''Pandit'' is the equivalent title for a Hindu man, and ''Vidushi, Pandita, or Panditain f''or a Hindu woman.
===Usage=== The title of ''ustad'' (and ''pandit'') is prepended informally to the names of classical singers and players by their admirers, individuals or institutions once they have reached eminence in their performing art, especially in public performances. As they are informal titles, mentioning the names of eminent singers without those appendages is acceptable, unlike prefixes like ''doctor'' awarded formally by educational institutions.{{cn|date=May 2026}}
The title ''ustad'' referring to a classical musician and the title ''ustad'' which is given to a knowledgeable person are different.
There are many ''ustads'' in Hindustani classical music, for example, Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, Ustad Alla Rakha, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Nishat Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Ustad Rashid Khan, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ostad Kamini Kumar Narzary etc.
* Ustad-i-Badshahan, a title referring to Sher Shah Suri by the Mughal Empire * Ustad Ahmad Lahori, architect of the Taj Mahal
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == *{{cite encyclopedia |last=Baily |first=John |editor=Sadie, Stanley |encyclopedia=The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians |title=Ustād |edition=2nd |year=2001 |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |volume= |location=London |isbn=0-333-60800-3}} * [https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=platts&query=ustad&matchtype=exact&display=utf8 Platts dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118144644/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=platts&query=ustad&matchtype=exact&display=utf8 |date=2016-01-18 }}
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