Etymology and meaning[edit]

Kurdish sheikhs, 1895.

The word in Arabic stems from a triliteral root connected with age and aging: --
, shn-y'-kh'. The term literally means a man of vast power, and nobility, and it is
used strictly for the royal families of the Middle East. The title carries the meaning
leader, elder, or noble, especially in the Arabian Peninsula within the Tribes of
Arabia, where shaikh became a traditional title of a Bedouin tribal leader in recent
centuries. Due to the cultural impact of Arab civilization, and especially through the
spread of Islam, the word has gained currency as a religious term or general
honorific in many other parts of the world as well, notably in Muslim cultures in
Africa and Asia.[citation needed]

While the title can be used religiously by Muslims to designate a learned person, as
an Arabic word it is essentially independent of religion. It is notably used by Druze
for their religious men, but also by Arab Christians for elder men of stature. Its
usage and meaning is similar to the Latin senex meaning "old [man]", from which
the Latin (and English) "senator" is derived. Accordingly, the Arabic term for most
legislative bodies termed Senate (e.g. the United States Senate) is majlis alshuykh, literally meaning "Council of Senators."[citation needed]

Sufi term[edit]
In Islamic Sufism, the word 'Shaikh' is used to represent a wali who initiates a
particular tariqa which leads to Muhammad although many saints have this title
added before their names out of respect from their followers. One prominent
example is Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani who initiated the Qadiriyya order which relies
strongly upon adherence to the fundamentals of Islam.[1]

Regional usage[edit]
Arabian Peninsula[edit]

Sheikh Juma Al Maktoum (left) and Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum (right) of
the Maktoum family.

In the Arabian Peninsula, the title is used for royalty, such as kings, princes, and
princesses. For example, it was the term used in the West to refer to the leaders of
Kuwait's ruling al-Sabah dynasty, and in UAE AL-Nahyan The same applies to all the
Gulf countries. The term is used by almost every male and female (Sheikha)
member of all the Gulf royal houses.

Lebanon[edit]
In Lebanon, the title is commonly used when addressing members of the traditional
noble Christian feudal families such as, in chronological order of the Maronite
families who first had this title bestowed upon them: El Hachem of Akoura who ruled
the current Jbeil casa (from Al Doniyeh to Byblos) since 1523, El-Khazen (since
1545, ruled the Kesrwan area), and El Daher of Zgharta. The term sheikh is known
to have been bestowed upon the families who battled with the Emir Fakhr al-Din in
the historical Battle of Anjar. Note that the term is not used for the seven traditional
Beiruti families, but primarily for the above-mentioned three families. The other
families that have this term (such as El Cheikh Moussa, El-Dahdah, Gemayel, ElKhoury, El-Daher, and Harb, etc.) did not rule any territory in previous ages. Instead,
they were high-ranking employees or secretaries (kouttab) (such as Al-Hobeich
(since 1567) of Ghazir) in the Ottoman Empire, or political 'allies' of the rulers at
that time, which provided them a certain financial status.

Maghreb[edit]
In the Maghreb, during the Almohad dynasty, the Caliph was also counciled by a
body of Shaykhs. They represented all the different tribes under their rules,
including Berbers, Arabs, Bedouins and Andalusians, and were also responsible for
mobilizing their kinsmen in the event of war.[2]

Horn of Africa[edit]
Main articles: Somali aristocratic and court titles and Ethiopian aristocratic and
court titles

Somali Sheikh Muhammad Dahir Roble reading a Muslim sermon.

In the Muslim parts of the Horn of Africa, Sheikh 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".[3] Famous local Sheikhs include
Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, an early Muslim leader in northern Somalia;

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; Shaykh 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.[4]

West Africa[edit]

Senegalese Sheikh Tidiane Gaye giving an Islamic lecture in Louga.

In West Africa, sheikh is a common title for Muslim scholars and leaders. Among
Islamic communities in Senegal, Niger and Gambia, among other areas, the title is
usually spelled as Cheikh.

South Asia[edit]
Main article: Sheikh (caste)

Pakistani Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, a prominent Sunni scholar.

In Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and other parts of South Asia, the title Sheikh
signifies Arab descent.People of Quresh tribe who migrated to South Asia and later
adopted meat business are also called sheikh, Qassab or Qureshi . After the advent
of Islam in South Asia, some high caste (Brahmins, Rajputs and Khatris) tribes also
converted to Islam and adopted the title. The Muslims of the Middle East and
Central Asia have historically traveled to South Asia as Sufis during the Islamic
Sultanates and Mughal Empire and settled permanently with Sheikh status. In
Punjab, Pakistan the Hindu Brahmins, Kshatriya, Bhanushali Kataria (Also known as
Katarmal), Thakur, Rana, Rathores, Bhattis, Chauhans, and other Rajput elite class
converted by different Ismaili Pirs to Islam. Ismaili Pirs gave the new converts of
Punjab the hereditary title of Shaikh as well as the Muslims who immigrated from
Arabia and settled in Punjab

Distinguished Sindhi Shaikhs include Imtiaz Shaikh, MPA Shikarpur and Special
Advisor to PM and Former Provincial Minister and Bureaucrat, Sindh; Shaikh Ayaz,

Sindhi poet of Pakistan; Najmudddin Shaikh, Former Foreign Secretary, Pakistan;

Ghulam Shabir Shaikh, Former IGP Sindh, Pakistan; Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Federal
Finance Minister, Pakistan; Muhammad Ayub Shaikh, Chairman Employees' Old Age
Benefits Institution], Pakistan; Maqbool Shaikh, Former Provincial Minister for Food
and Health, Sindh; Faraz Shaikh, Chairman Sindh Naujawan Shaikh Ittehad, Sindh;
Faryaz Nisar Shaikh, Vice Chairman Sindh Naujawan Shaikh Ittehad, Sindh; Imam
Bux Shaikh, Former General Secretary Peoples Students Federation Karachi, Former
General Secretary Peoples Engineers Forum Sindh, Famous Student Leader of
Pakistan.Altaf Shaikh Sindhi writer and traveler.

Southeast Asia[edit]
In Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, Sheikhs are respected by local
Muslims. Religious preachers or teachers in Indonesia are usually referred to as
"Ustad" or "Kyiayi"

For women[edit]
Historically, female scholars in Islam were referred to as shaykhah (Arabic: )
(alt. shaykhat). Notable shaykha include the 10th century Shaykhah Fakhr-un-Nisa
Shuhdah[5] and 18th century scholar Al-Shaykha Fatima al-Fudayliyya.[6]

A daughter or wife or mother of a sheikh is also called a shaykhah. Currently, the

term shaykhah is commonly used for women of ruling families, in the Arab states of
the Persian Gulf with the exception of Oman.[citation needed]