ABSTRACT
The global Muslim population includes a large number of lineal descendants and relatives of the Prophet Muhammad. These kinsfolk, most often known as "sayyid" or "sharif," form a distinct social category in many Muslim societies, and their status can afford them special treatment in legal matters and in the political sphere.
This book brings together an international group of renowned scholars to provide a comprehensive examination of the place of the kinsfolk of Muhammad in Muslim societies, throughout history and in a number of different local manifestations. The chapters cover:
- how the status and privileges of sayyids and sharifs have been discussed by religious scholars
- how the prophetic descent of sayyids and sharifs has functioned as a symbolic capital in different settings
- the lives of actual sayyids and sharifs in different times and places
Providing a thorough analysis of sayyids and sharifs from the ninth century to the present day, and from the Iberian Peninsula to the Indonesian Archipelago, this book will be of great interest to scholars of Islamic studies, Middle East and Asian studies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |59 pages
Arguing sayyids and sharīfs
chapter |22 pages
How to behave toward sayyids and sharīfs
chapter |23 pages
Debate on the status of sayyid/sharīfs in the modern era
part |85 pages
Sayyids and sharīfs in the Middle East
chapter |16 pages
The reflection of Islamic tradition on Ottoman social structure
chapter |19 pages
The ashrāf and the naqīb al-ashrāf in Ottoman Egypt and Syria
part |108 pages
Sayyids and sharīfs beyond the Middle East