The meaning of the word "Al-Sayyid": (A study on its origin, concept, and whom it is applied to)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32792/tqartj.v2i49.744Keywords:
Mr. word, ancient times, pre-Islamic era, early Islam, the gentlemen.Abstract
The purpose of this research is to clarify the importance, concept, and meaning of the word "Al-Sayyid," as well as its origin and whom it is applied to. This word was used in ancient times and during the pre-Islamic era and has been mentioned in the Quran in several instances. It was also mentioned in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The word "Al-Sayyid" is considered older than the word "Al-Sharif."
Today, the term "Al-Sayyid" is applied to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through the lineage of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and his wife Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), specifically through their sons, Imams Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them). The title of "Al-Sayyid" is particularly associated with the descendants of Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them). This honor they have acquired is not comparable to the honor of kingship, governance, wealth, or status; it is an honor achieved through faith and proximity to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). It is a lineage that combines both prophethood and imamate.
Additionally, we found that the word "Al-Sayyid" among the Shia denotes both a religious and social rank. The Sayyids have adopted the color green as their symbol.
Downloads
References
1. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, edited by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, 'Adil Murshid, Jamal 'Abd al-Latif, and Sa'id al-Lahham, Al-Resalah Foundation.
2. Al-Anbari, Shaykh Hasan Hardan, Sahifat Sadat al-Wujud: Dhikr al-Imam Ali (peace be upon him), Second Illumination, Fifth Light.
3. Al-Alusi, Mahmoud Shukri, Bulugh al-Arab fi Ma'rifat Ahwal al-Arab, edited by Muhammad Bahjat al-Athari, 3rd ed., Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi Press, Egypt, 1342 AH.
4. Al-Isfahani, Hamza ibn al-Hasan, Al-Durra al-Fakhira fi al-Amthal al-Sa'ira, edited by 'Abd al-Majid Qatamish, Cairo (n.d.).
5. Al-Isfahani, Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Musa, Manaqib Ali ibn Abi Talib wa Ma Nuzila min al-Qur'an fi Ali, compiled and introduced by 'Abd al-Razzaq Muhammad Husayn, Research Center of Dar al-Hadith, 1420 AH.
6. Al-Bukhari, Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughira al-Ju'fi, Sahih al-Bukhari, published by Al-Minbariyya Press, Egypt, 1348 AH.
7. Al-Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim, Ghayat al-Maram wa Hujjat al-Khisam fi Ta'yin al-Imam min Tariq al-Khass wa al-'Amm, edited by Sayyid Ali 'Ashur, Ayatollah al-Milani Foundation for Reviving Shi'i Thought, 2011 CE.
8. Al-Bayhaqi, Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Husayn, Al-Asma' wa al-Sifat, edited and annotated by 'Abdullah Muhammad al-Hashidi, with a foreword by Shaykh Muqbil Hadi al-Wadi'i, Jeddah, 1993 CE.
9. Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn 'Isa ibn Sawrah ibn Musa al-Dhahhak, Sunan, edited by Ibrahim 'Atwah 'Awad, Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi Library and Press, 2nd ed., Egypt, 1975 CE.
10. Ibn Taghri Bardi, Yusuf, Al-Nujum al-Zahira fi Muluk Misr wa al-Qahira, Ministry of Culture and National Guidance, Dar al-Kutub, Egypt (n.d.).
11. Jawad Ali, Al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-'Arab Qabla al-Islam, 1st ed., Dar al-'Ilm lil-Malayin, Beirut, 1970 CE.
12. Al-Jahiz, Abu 'Uthman 'Amr, Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin, edited by 'Abd al-Salam Muhammad Harun, 3rd ed., Maktabat al-Khanji, Cairo, 1986 CE.
13. Jamal Ashraf al-Husayni, Al-Uswah Press, 1st ed., 1416 AH, p. 316.
14. Al-Jalali, Jihad al-Imam al-Sajjad Zayn al-'Abidin Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), Dar al-Hadith, 1st ed., 1418 AH.
15. Jamil Ibrahim Habib, Al-Qawl al-Hazim fi Nasab Bani Hashim, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya, Baghdad, 1987 CE.
16. Ibn Hajar, Ahmad ibn Ali, Fath al-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, arranged by Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi, edited by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib, Al-Maktaba al-Salafiyya, Egypt, 1st ed., 1390 AH.
17. Shaykh 'Alaa al-Hassun, Al-Tawhid 'Inda Madhhab Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Imamain al-Hasanayn Heritage and Thought Network.
18. Jamal al-Din Muhammad Ali al-Husayni (known as Ibn 'Inaba), 'Umdat al-Talib fi Ansab Aal Abi Talib, edited by Muhammad Hasan al-Taliqani, Al-Haydariyya Press, Najaf, 1960 CE.
19. Ibn Khallikan, Abu al-'Abbas Shams al-Din Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Abi Bakr, Wafayat al-A'yan wa Anba' Abna' al-Zaman, edited by Ihsan 'Abbas, 1st ed., Dar Sader, Beirut.
20. Al-Khwarazmi, Al-Muwaffaq ibn Ahmad, Al-Manaqib, edited by Shaykh Malik al-Mahmudi, Islamic Publishing Foundation, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Qom, 1411 AH.
21. Sayyid Ahmad Zayni Dahlan, Khilasat al-Kalam fi Bayan Umara' Bayt Allah al-Haram min Zaman al-Nabi (peace be upon him) ila Waqtina, 1st ed., Al-Khayriyya Press, Egypt, 1305 AH.
22. Al-Diyar Bakri, Husayn Muhammad, Tarikh al-Khamis fi Ahwal Anfas al-Nafis, Dar Sader, Beirut, 1390 AH.
23. Fathi 'Abd al-Qadir al-Rifa'i, Mawsu'at Ansab Aal Bayt al-Nubuwwa, vol. 1, Al-Dar al-'Arabiyya lil-Mawsu'at, 1st ed., Amman, 2009 CE.
24. Al-Razi, Muhammad Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Qadir, Mukhtar al-Sihah, Dar al-Risala, Kuwait, 1983 CE.
25. Muhammad al-Rayshahri et al., Encyclopedia of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), Dar al-Hadith, Qom, 1421 AH.
26. Al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din, Al-Durr al-Manthur fi al-Tafsir bi al-Ma'thur, with marginal notes: The Holy Qur'an with Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, Dar al-Ma'rifa for Printing and Publishing, Beirut.
27. Al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din, Al-Rasa'il al-Tis', Dar Ihya' al-'Ulum, 1988 CE.
28. 'Amir Sulayman, Iraq in Ancient History: A Brief Political History, Dar al-Hikma for Printing and Publishing, Mosul, 1992 CE.
29. Fadil ibn Salih ibn Mahdi ibn Khalil al-Samarra'i, Lamasat Bayaniyya fi Nusus al-Tanzil, Dar 'Ammar for Publishing and Distribution, Amman, Jordan, 3rd ed., 2003 CE.
30. Sharaf al-Din al-Husayni al-Astarabadi, Fi Fada'il al-'Itrah al-Tahira, Islamic Publishing Foundation, Qom.
31. Qasim Hasan Shaman al-Samarra'i, Naqabat al-Ashraf fi al-Mashriq al-Islami hatta Nihayat Hukm al-Usra al-Jalayiriyya, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya.
32. Ibn Sa'd, Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn Munabba', Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Dar Sader, Beirut, 1987 CE.
33. 'Ali Shahilat and 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Hamdani, Mukhtasar Tarikh al-'Iraq al-Qadim, Dar al-Kutub for Printing and Publishing, Mosul (n.d.).
34. Mushir al-Din Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ali Ibn Shahr Ashub, Manaqib Aal Abi Talib, edited and explained by scholars from Najaf al-Ashraf, Al-Haydariyya Press, Najaf al-Ashraf, 1956 CE.
35. Al-Subban, Muhammad ibn Ali, Is'af al-Raghibin fi Sirat al-Mustafa wa Fada'il Ahl Baytihi al-Tahirin, Al-Mahmoudiyya Press, 1895 CE.
36. Al-Saduq, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hasan, 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (peace be upon him), introduction and commentary by Shaykh Hasan al-Amili, Al-A'la Foundation Publications, 1st ed., Beirut, 1984.
37. Al-Tabarsi, Abu Mansur Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, Al-Ihtijaj, edited and annotated by Muhammad Baqir al-Kharsan, 1966.
38. Al-Tabari, 'Imad al-Din Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Abi al-Qasim, Bisharat al-Mustafa (peace be upon him) li Shi'at al-Murtada, edited by Jawad al-Qayyumi al-Isfahani, Islamic Publishing Foundation, Qom, 1420 AH.
39. Al-Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir, Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil Ay al-Qur'an, 3rd ed., Cairo, 1968.
40. Al-Tabataba'i, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn, Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, Al-A'la Foundation for Publications (n.d.).
41. Al-Ta'an, 'Abd al-Ridha, Al-Fikr al-Siyasi fi al-'Iraq al-Qadim, Dar al-Rashid Publishing, Baghdad, 1981.
42. Al-Yazdi, Sayyid Muhammad Kazim, Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa, Office of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid al-Sistani, Al-A'lami Foundation for Publications, Beirut.
43. Al-'Askari, Abu Hilal al-Hasan ibn 'Abdullah ibn Sahl ibn Sa'id ibn Yahya, Jumhurat al-Amthal, edited by Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim and 'Abd al-Majid Qatamish, 1st ed., Cairo, 1964.
44. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Anba' al-Ghamr bi Abna' al-'Umr, edited by Hasan Habashi, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Heritage Revival Committee, Egypt, 1969.
45. Ali, Al-Hafiz, Fusul min Tarikh al-Madina al-Munawwara, Al-Madina Press and Publishing Company, 3rd ed., 1996.
46. Al-Fayruzabadi, Majd al-Din Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, edited by the Heritage Verification Office at Al-Resalah Foundation, supervised by Muhammad Na'im, 8th ed., Beirut, 2005.
47. Ibn Fandaq, Abu al-Hasan Zahir al-Din Ali ibn Zayd, Lubab al-Ansab wa al-Alqab wa al-A'qab, edited by Sayyid Mahdi al-Raja'i, 2nd ed., Qom, 2007.
48. Ibn Qutaybah, Abu Muhammad 'Abdullah ibn Muslim al-Kufi, Al-Ma'arif, edited by Tharwat 'Ukasha, Dar al-Kutub Press, 1960.
– Al-Ma'ani al-Kabir, 1st ed., Da'irat al-Ma'arif Press, India, 1949.
– 'Uyun al-Akhbar, Egyptian Foundation for Authorship, Translation, and Publishing, Cairo, 1963.
49. Al-Qunduzi, Sulayman ibn Ibrahim, Yanabi' al-Mawadda li Dhawi al-Qurba, edited by Sayyid Ali Jamal Ashraf al-Husayni, Al-Uswah Press, 1st ed., 1461 AH.
50. Al-Qalqashandi, Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, Subh al-A'sha fi Sina'at al-Insha', Cairo, 1963.
51. Al-Qummi, Shaykh 'Abbas, Al-Anwar al-Bahiyya fi Tawarikh al-Hujaj al-Ilahiyya, Islamic Publishing Foundation, Qom, 1417 AH.
52. Al-Karajaki, Abu al-Fath Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ali ibn 'Uthman, Kanz al-Fawa'id, edited and annotated by Shaykh 'Abdullah Na'ma, Dar al-Adwa', Beirut, 1985.
53. Al-Kulayni, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq, verified and annotated by Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, Tehran, 1367 AH.
54. Ibn Manzur, Abu al-Fadl Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Makram al-Afriki, Lisan al-'Arab, introduction by Shaykh 'Abdullah al-'Alayli, compiled and arranged by Yusuf Khayyat and Nadim Mar'ashli, Dar Lisan al-'Arab, Beirut (n.d.).
55. Al-Mousawi, Mahdi 'Uraybi Husayn, Bistam ibn Qays Dhu al-Jadayn al-Shaybani: Qaid wa Faris Bakr ibn Wa'il Qabla al-Islam (A Historical Study), 1st ed., Sana'a, 2007.
56. Al-Majlisi, Shaykh Muhammad Baqir, Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'a li Durar Akhbar al-A'imma al-Athar, Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi, 3rd ed., Beirut, 1983.
57. Mansur, Ali Nasir, Al-Taj al-Jami' li al-Usul fi Ahadith al-Rasul (peace be upon him and his family), Dar Ihya' al-Kutub al-'Arabiyya, 3rd ed., Egypt, 1961.
58. Al-Najafi, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan, Jawahir al-Kalam fi Sharh Sharayi' al-Islam, edited and annotated by Shaykh 'Abbas al-Qawjani, Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, 1st ed., Tehran, 1367 AH.
59. Al-Naysaburi, Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Karim ibn Hawaz ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Talhah ibn Muhammad, Sharh Asma' Allah al-Husna, studied and edited by Taha 'Abd al-Ra'uf and Sa'd Muhammad Ali, Dar al-Haram lil-Turath, 1st ed., Cairo.
60. Al-Nuri, Haj Mirza Husayn, Mustadrak al-Wasa'il wa Mustanbat al-Masa'il, edited by Ahl al-Bayt Foundation for Reviving Heritage, Beirut (n.d.).
61. Ibn Nu'aym, Ahmad ibn 'Abdullah al-Isfahani, Hilyat al-Awliya' wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya', Dar al-Sa'ada, 1974.
62. Al-Naraqi, Mustanad al-Shi'a fi Ahkam al-Shari'a, edited by Ahl al-Bayt Foundation for Reviving Heritage, 1st ed., Beirut, 1429 AH.
63. Nahj al-Balagha, commentary by Shaykh Muhammad 'Abduh, Dar al-Ma'rifa for Printing and Publishing, Beirut, 1st ed., 1412 AH.
64. Al-Hilali, Salim ibn Qays, Kitab Asrar Aal Muhammad, edited by Muhammad Baqir al-Ansari al-Zanjani, 1st ed., Al-Hadi Press, Qom, 1420 AH.
65. Ibn Hisham, Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik, Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Al-Khayriyya Press, Egypt, 1st ed., 1329 AH.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mothana mahdi Oreebi , mahdi Oreebi

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal applies the license of CC BY (a Creative Commons Attribution International license). This license allows authors to keep ownership of the copyright of their papers. But this license permits any user to download, print out, extract, reuse, archive, and distribute the article, so long as appropriate credit is given to the authors and the source of the work. The license ensures that the article will be available as widely as possible and that the article can be included in any scientific archive.