An Allamah (Arabic, Urdu and Persian: علامه), also spelled Allameh and Allama, is an honorary title carried by only the very highest scholars (marjas) of Islamic thought, jurisprudence, and philosophy.
It is used as an honorific in Sunni Islam as well as in Twelver Shia Islam. Sir Muhammad Iqbal, architect of modern Pakistan is referred to, for example, as Allamah Iqbal. Sunnis and Shiites who have achieved the rank of a scholarship in several disciplines are often referred to by the title. Those holding the title "allamah" surpass all other clerics such as ayatollahs and hojatoleslams. Currently, marjas are accorded the title Grand Ayatollah (Arabic: آيةالله العظمی Āyatu l-Lāhi l-‘Użmá, Persian Āyatollāh Ozmā).
In any given generation, there are only a few Allamahs. Some of the most famous ones are: