What Religious Titles Mean
Before you read this, it is important that we de-colonize our minds from the orientation that the Western codification of education is the best measure for mastery.
What I mean is, it is reductive to think of religious learning strictly in terms of paradigms like "associates", "bachelors", "masters", and "PhD."
As one internet personality aptly said, just because the west has "clean streets and tall buildings" does not imply that they are intellectually superior.
That said, I am a simple person and understand things by approximation. So I will use terms that feel familiar to me.
My understanding -
Unstudied - all of us at the beginning.
Student of Knowledge - Lowest tier. Most of us.
Ustadh - learned, but used secularly too. For example, the professor of literature in the Arab world is an Ustadh. I'd say this is someone with a bachelor's in Islamic sciences with no experience leading a community (aka book smart only)
Hafiz - someone who is able to recall the whole Qur'an from memory, right now. We call this "pakka" in Urdu. Note that being Hafiz is not a title forever kept once achieved. It is a state that requires constant revision.
Imam - this is sometimes a role, sometimes a designation of knowledge.
While Imam is often used for both the person who leads salah AND who leads the community, I give primacy to the meaning of leading the community (which doesn't require leading salah, though often overlapping).
I think we've done a great disservice to the ummah in referring to someone who leads prayers as the imam. Because while a great respect is afforded to people bearing that responsibility, the imam is who we look to for leadership even outside of prayer. In many communities, the one who leads prayer could be a teenager…does a 50 year who has gone through life's challenges really look to a 19 year old for leadership? Probably not. IMO the minimum someone needs is a bachelors in Islamic sciences + experience serving the community pastorally.
Aalim - like a masters graduate. Authoritative on field. Very learned. Spent 5-6 years studying.
Mufti - PhD level specialist. Thought leader (if their studies was balanced with real world service…otherwise they're book smart without knowledge on how to apply for people, which is dangerous)
Shaykh - it depends.
People use the word Shaykh:
Literally - for an old man
Respectfully - for a deeply learned person
Hopefully - as a prayer that someone becomes a great role model through knowledge and character
Please note that people go in the lowest tiered title unless there is evidence (ie testimony from peer group) that said person belongs in a higher tier.
For example, "brother who gives khutbah" does not default to any category higher than unlearned, unless there is testimony otherwise.
The less we, as a community, artificially inflate the titles of people, the more we will guard ourselves from spiritual malpractice.
And Allah knows best.
If you would like to add something or disagree, feel free to leave a comment.