Sharif
Sharīf (, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a term used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, from the family of the prophet Muhammad ( ). It may be used in three senses: Precise usage of the term has varied both historically and geographically. Today, descent from the prophet through his daughter Fatima (either Hasanid or Husaynid) is more commonly designated by the term . Etymology. The word derives from the Arabic root sh–r–f, which expresses meanings related to honor, nobility, and prominence. It has  no etymological connection with the English term "sheriff", which comes from the Old English word "scīrgerefa", meaning "shire-reeve", the local reeve (enforcement agent) of the king in the shire (county). Usage. History. Precise usage of the term has varied both historically and geographically. Often, the terms and were used interchangeably, while in other contexts they referred to Hasanid vs. Husaynid descent (especially in the Hejaz, where the Sharifate of Mecca was restricted to persons of Hasanid descent). In still other contexts, they both referred to some form of Hashimite descent, but were linked to a different and specific social  status. In most places the term has functioned as a mark of nobility (both the Abbasids and the Fatimids were at one time holder of the caliphate), except in South Asia, where the meaning of the term has expanded to include all Muslims of foreign descent. Thus, in the caste system among South Asian Muslims, the term designates not only Muslims of Arab descent (s or purported descendants of Ali and Fatima, and s, which include all those who claim descent from the Quraysh or from one of Muhammad's companions), but also Muslims of Pasthun (Pathans) or Turko-Mongol  (Mughals) descent. Over time, people who were not of Hashimite descent were sometimes also granted the title as a general mark of nobility. The result of this has been that the term has become a more common designation for those claiming descent from the prophet today. As such, (or one of its many alternative spellings, like or ) has also become a common proper name.