also sayid, Islamic title of honor, applied to descendants of Hussein, Muhammad's grandson, 1788, from Arabic sayyid "lord, chief," perhaps literally "speaker, spokesman."
(Arabic: "master," or "lord"), Arabic title of respect, sometimes restricted, as is the title sharif, to the Banu Hashim, members of Muhammad's clan; in particular, the descendants of Muhammad's uncles al-'Abbas and Abu Talib and of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib by Muhammad's daughter Fatimah. In the Hejaz, sayyid is further restricted to the descendants of Husayn, the younger son of 'Ali and Fatimah.