Syed

Categories: Arabic language | Islam

Syed (Arabic: سید also rendered as Sayyid, in Malaysia and South Asia,or Seyyed or Sayyed in Iran also Saiyed or Sayed) is an honorific title often given to descendants of Muhammad through his grandsons, Hussain and Hassan, the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. Some Muslims also use the term Syed for the descendants of Abu Talib, uncle of Muhammad, by his other sons: Jafar, Aqeel and Talib. The term should not be confused with the popular name "Sa'id" or "Saeed", which is an Arabic and Farsi word meaning "happy."

The word means literally "master"; the closest English equivalent would be sir. In the Arab world itself, with the exception of Iraq, the word is still used as a substitute for Mister, as in Syed John Smith. The same concept is expressed by the word sidi in the Western dialects of Arabic.

Syeds often include the following titles in their names to indicate the figure from whom they trace their descent. If they are descended from more than one notable descendant or Shi'a imam, they will use the title of the figure from whom they are most directly descended.

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Famous Sayyids

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