Sharif
Sharīf (
- In the broadest sense, it refers to any descendant of Muhammad's great-grandfather Abbasids).[1]
- More often, it refers to a descendant of Fatimids). In the sense of descendants of Fatima and Ali (the most common one), the term effectively refers to all descendants of Muhammad.[1]
- In the narrowest sense, it refers only to someone who descends from Fatima and Ali's eldest son (and Muhammad's grandson) Hasan (the Hasanids). In this limited context, it is contrasted with the term sayyid ('lord', 'master', plural sāda, (سادة), which then refers only to the descendants of Hasan's younger brother Husayn (the Husaynids).[1]
The precise usage of the term has varied both historically and geographically. Today, descent from Muhammad through his daughter Fatima (either Hasanid or Husaynid) is more commonly designated by the term sayyid.[1]
Etymology
The word derives from the
Usage
History
Precise usage of the term has varied both historically and geographically. Often, the terms sharīf and
In most places, the term has functioned as a mark of nobility (both the
Over time, people who were not of Hashimite descent were sometimes also granted the title sharīf as a general mark of nobility. The result of this has been that today the term sayyid has become a more common designation for those claiming descent from Muhammad.[1] As such, Sayyid (or one of its many alternative spellings, like Sayyed or Syed) has also become a common proper name.
Major sharif dynasties
- Abbasids (descendants of Muhammad's uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, ruled over a vast empire centered in Baghdad750–945, and claimed the caliphate 750–1517)
- Sa'dids (Hasanids, ruled over Morocco 1510–1659)[3]
- Alawids (Hasanids, rule over Morocco 1631–present)[3]
- Hashimites (Hasanids, ruled over the Kingdom of Hejaz 1916–1925, the Arab Kingdom of Syria in 1920, the Kingdom of Iraq 1932–1958, and Jordan1921–present)
See also
- Asharaf or Ashraf, Somali clan claiming descent from Muhammad through Fatima
- List of Ashrāf tribes in Libya
- Sharif of Mecca
- Sharif family, a political family in Pakistan
- Sharifate of Mecca
- Sharifian (disambiguation)
- Sharifism, term used for the rising prominence of the shurafāʾ in early modern Morocco
- Sherif, a proper name derived from sharīf, including a list of people named that way
- Omar Sharif (1932–2015), Egyptian actor and probably the most famous person with this name
References
Citations
Sources cited
- ISBN 0-7486-2137-7.
- Online Etymology Dictionary (2001–2021). "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
- Van Arendonk, C.; Graham, W.A. (1960–2007). "Sharīf". In Heinrichs, W. P.(eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.