An akhoond (akhund or akhwand) (Persian: آخوند‎‎) is a Persian title for an Islamic cleric, common in Iran, Azerbaijan and some parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Standard Chinese word for imam, Chinese: 阿訇; pinyin: āhōng), used in particular by the Hui people, also derives from this term. Other names for similar Muslim clerics include sheikh and mullah.