Answer
Short Answer:
- I would like to emphasize something that all Muslims should be careful about. Many a time, Muslims claim to be “Sayyid’s” in order to establish their ethnic superiority over other races. They might look down upon those hailing from other races or lineages. This is a sin, and extremely dangerous for their faith. A Muslim should never feel arrogant about their superior lineage.
- Being born into a noble family is definitely a blessing, and a social privilege. Yet, it will not raise a Muslim’s ranks in the eyes of Allah. The only factor that will do so, is taqwa, or consciousness of Allah.
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Asalaamu alaykum, and thank you for the question.
Your question is pertinent, especially in the modern era, where everyone wants answers to their questions. It is true that, among desi’s viz. the people of Pakistani and Indian origin, there exists a naming trend regarding Prophetic lineage. Prefixing Sayyid to one’s name implies that the person is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
However, there is usually no proof of this being true.
The linguistic meaning of the word ‘Sayyid‘
First of all, we should try to find out the meaning of the Arabic word sayyid.
It occurs in the Quran, in the chapter titled “Yusuf“:
“…..and they found her sayyid (husband) at the door….” [12:25]
This verse of the Quran refers to a woman’s husband as her “sayiid“. Furthermore, in an authentic Prophetic narration, the Prophet described his grandsons, Hassan and Hussain, as sayyids“: Narrated Abu Sa’eed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Al-Hasan and al-Husain are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise.” [Jami` al-Tirmidhi]
Therefore, the meaning of the word sayyid is, simply speaking, leader or chief.
Modern-day Sayyid’s
Because the Prophet referred to his grandsons as “sayyid“, some Muslims who descend from his lineage prefix this term to their names. Nevertheless, since tracking someone’s lineage is a tedious task, one should be cautious about believing every claim.
Charlatans and conmen might refer to themselves as Sayyids, even if they are not from the Prophet’s lineage. They might do this to boost their social prestige and reputation in Muslim society. Or to acquire a high-ranking occupation, or get married into a noble family.
So, one must take all such claims with a pinch of salt.
If a certain clan that is well-known for being righteous and truthful, claims to be sayyid’s, it can be accepted.
Why “Sayyid’s” are not apparently common in the Arabs
Why prefixing the title of Sayyid is not common among Arab Muslims, could be because of culture. Muslim naming traditions vary according to geographical region and local language. For example, in some African countries, the name `Abdullah is usually suffixed with an ‘í’ (becoming ‘Abdullahi’). Also, the Arabic prefix al is spelled el in some countries.
Therefore, it would be prudent to find out the naming traditions that prevail amongst Arabs. Especially when it comes to identifying as sayyid. That is, how do the modern-day Arab descendants of Prophet Muhammad identify themselves?
For example, some Arab sayyids might refer to themselves as Hashimi. The Hashimi family is a famous example of modern-day sayyids. It is a well-established fact that they have descended from the same tribe (Banu Hashim) as Prophet Muhammad.
Not all cases are well-known like them, however. The matter will entail undertaking some practical research for verification of individual cases.
Ultimately, does it really matter?
In the modern era, medical science has provided many means for verifying bloodlines. One example is DNA testing. However, these means did not exist even a hundred or more years ago. Therefore, it will be very difficult to verify the claims of all the families claiming to be sayyids today.
In the end, I would like to emphasize something that all Muslims should be careful about. Many a time, Muslims claim to be “Sayyid’s” in order to establish their ethnic superiority over other races. They might look down upon those hailing from other races or lineages. This is a sin, and extremely dangerous for their faith. A Muslim should never feel arrogant about their superior lineage.
Being born into a noble family is definitely a blessing, and a social privilege. Yet, it will not raise a Muslim’s ranks in the eyes of Allah. The only factor that will do so, is taqwa, or consciousness of Allah. Allah says in the Quran:
“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has al-taqwa. Verily, Allah is all-Knowing, all-Aware.” [49:13]
Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad has stated,
“O people! Verily your Lord is One and your father [Adam] is one. An Arab is no better than a non-Arab, and a non-Arab is no better than an Arab; a red man is no better than a black man, and a black man is no better than a red man – except if it is in terms of taqwa (piety)…” [Musnad Ahmad: 22391]
With that, I will end by saying that it is better, even for a bonafide sayyid, to avoid announcing their lineage, unless necessary.
Links consulted:
Calling oneself as the descendants of prophet Muhammad
Calling oneself ‘Sayyed’
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And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.
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