For other uses, see Sharif (disambiguation).
Sharīf (Arabic: شريف) is a traditional Arab tribal title given to those who serve as the protector of the tribe and all tribal assets, such as property, wells, and land.
Primarily Sunnis in the Arab world reserve the term sharif for descendants of Hasan ibn Ali, while sayyid is used for descendants of Husayn ibn Ali. Both Hasan and Husayn are grandchildren of Muhammad, through the marriage of his cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima. However ever since the post-Hashemite era began, the term sayyid has been used to denote descendants from both Hasan and Husayn. Arab Shiites use the terms sayyid and habib to denote descendants from both Hasan and Husayn; see also ashraf.
الموضوع منقول كله من
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharif