alt. Sherif, Sherrif - title of the rulers of the Hijaz and the holy places of Islam until the conquest by Ibn Saud, in Arabic it means 'noble of birth' or 'noble of descent from the Prophet'

noble; a descendant of the Prophet.

(Arabic pl., ashraf) An individual who claims to be and is accepted as a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima.

(Arabic) Descendant of Muhammad through Fatima; honorific title accorded to any Muslim ruler

a descendant of Muhammad's grandson Hasan, and a sayyid a descendant of another grandson, Hussein, although the two terms are often used interchangeably

hereditary nobleman of the meaning of the title. A title maintained by the masculine members of the dynasty of Hashimite, descended in the masculine line of Hassan, a older twin son of Ali, the fourth Caliph of its wife Fatima, daughter of the prophet.

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.