Arabian Peninsula In the
Arabian Peninsula, the title is used for
chiefs of tribes. This also includes
royalty in most of
Eastern Arabia, where the royal families were traditionally considered tribal chiefs. For example, it is used by the UAE
Al-Nahyan dynasty and
Al Maktoum dynasty, who are considered the chiefs of the
Bani Yas tribe, and by
Kuwait's
Al Sabah dynasty and
Bahrain's
Al Khalifa dynasty of the
Bani Utbah tribal confederation. The term is used by almost every male and female (Sheikha) member of the royal houses of the
UAE,
Bahrain,
Qatar, and
Kuwait. The title is not used by members of
Al Saud of
Saudi Arabia, where the title "Prince" () is used instead. The title is also used to refer to
religious leaders for both Sunni and Shia Muslims. For example, the Saudi Arabian family
Al ash-Sheikh (literally
House of the Sheikh) is named after the religious leader and eponymous founder of
Wahhabism,
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.
Lebanon In Lebanon, the title had the same princely and royal connotation as in the Arabian peninsula until the
Ottoman invasion in 1516, since it represented an
indigenous autonomous "
sui iuris" ruler or tribal chief. Examples of some ancient families that hold the title of "sui iuris" sheikh is the
Al-Chemor family, ruling since 1211 CE in
Koura and
Zgharta until 1747 CE and the Boudib family (descendants of the
Hashemite family) who were
Ehdenian rulers of
Jebbeh since 1471 CE until 1759 CE. The descendants of this sovereign family now live in
Miziara, Mexico and Nigeria. Even the Abu Harmoush family heads, which ruled the
Chouf region until the
Battle of Ain Dara in 1711 CE, were "sui iuris" sheikhs. After the Ottoman rule and the implementation of the
Iltizam system, the title gained a
noble instead of royal connotation, since it was bestowed by a higher authority; in this case the Ottoman appointed
Emir, who was nothing more than a mültezim or tax collector for the
empire. Some very influential
Maronite families, who had the title bestowed upon them, are (in chronological order): the El Hachem of Akoura (descendants of the
Hashemite family, since 1523), the
El-Khazen (since 1545), the Hubaysh of
Kisrawan and the
Douaihy of
Zgharta. Other families who are nowadays addressed or known as "sheikhs" were not traditionally rulers of provinces, but instead they were high-ranking officials at the service of the Emir at that time.
Maghreb In the
Maghreb, during the
Almohad dynasty, the caliph was also counseled by a body of sheikhs. They represented all the different tribes under their rules, including
Arabs, (
Bedouins),
Andalusians and
Berbers and were also responsible for mobilizing their kinsmen in the event of war.
Horn of Africa Islamic scholar. In the Muslim parts of the
Horn of Africa, "shaikh" is often used as a noble title. In
Somali society, it is reserved as an honorific for senior Muslim leaders and clerics (
wadaad), and is often abbreviated to "Sh". Famous local sheikhs include
Ishaaq bin Ahmed, an early Muslim scholar and Islamic preacher,
Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, an early Muslim leader in
Somaliland;
Abadir Umar Ar-Rida, the patron saint of
Harar;
Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti, Sheikh of the
riwaq in
Cairo who recorded the
Napoleonic invasion of Egypt;
Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i, scholar who played a crucial role in the spread of the
Qadiriyyah movement in Somalia and East Africa;
Sheikh Sufi, 19th century scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist;
Abdallah al-Qutbi, polemicist, theologian and philosopher best known for his five-part ''Al-Majmu'at al-mubaraka'' ("The Blessed Collection"); and Muhammad Al-Sumaalee, teacher in the
Masjid al-Haram in
Mecca who influenced many of the prominent Islamic scholars of today.
South Asia Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, a prominent
Sunni scholar In the
cosmopolitan hub of the
South Asian sub-continent, it is not just an ethnic title but also often an occupational title attributed to Muslim trading families. After the advent of Islam in
South Asia, many Hindu-Buddhists clans from different castes converted to Islam and adopted the title. In the
Punjab region,
Ismaili Pirs gave some converts, as well as
Muslims who
emigrated from
Central Asia, especially after the
Mongol conquests, the
hereditary title of
Ismaili Shaikhs.
Southeast Asia In
Indonesia and other parts of
Southeast Asia, sheikhs are respected by local Muslims. In
Indonesia, the term is usually spelled "syech", and this is usually attributed to elderly
ulama. Higher knowledgeable people of Islamic studies in Indonesia are usually referred to as "
ustad" or "
kyai".
Iran From the perspective of Iran, the word or title of sheikh possesses diverse meanings, among individuals who are aged and wise, it has been an honorific title used for elders and learned scholars, such as: Sheikh al-Rayees
Abu Ali Sina, Sheikh
Mufid, Sheikh
Morteza Ansari. In the past, Islamic scholars who were the Muhammad's descendants, were called
Sayyid/
Seyyed instead of sheikh. ==For women==