Shaikhs in South Asia

Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Shekh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants (Arabic: شيخ‎, shaykh; pl. شيوخ‎ shuyūkh), is a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that literally means "elder." It is commonly used to designate an elder of a tribe, a revered wise man, or an Islamic scholar. Although the title generally refers to a male, a very small number of female sheikhs have also existed in history.^[1]

Foreign Muslim origin

In South Asia, the term Shaikh may refer to immigrants from Middle East origins but they are a community that exist mostly in Pakistan, and also in the regions of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Most of the Shaikhs are of native origin.

Native Muslim origin

Many upper and lower Hindus that converted to Islam in South Asia adopted the title of Shaikh. For example; the Pandits of Kashmir and Kayasthas in Uttar Pradesh adopted the Shaikh title after their conversion to Islam. Millions of Dalits also accepted the Shaikh title in Pakistan and India.

Sub-divisions

The subdivisions of the Shaikh include:

• Shaikh Qidwai, descendants of the Qazi Qidwa, a son of the Sultans of Rum.^[2]
• Shaikh Hashmi, members of the Banu Hashim clan of the Banu Quraish tribe. The Islamic prophet, Muhammad belonged to this clan. Usually carry the title Sayyid or Sharif.^[3]
• Shaikh Siddiqui, descendants of Abu Bakar, the first Khalifa of Islam.^[4]
• Shaikh Usmani (Osmani), descendants of Uthman Ibn Affan the third Khalifa of Islam^[5]
• Shaikh Farooqi, Honorific reverence to Umar Farooq Bin Al-Khattab.^[6][7]

Prominent people

• Ehsan Danish, urdu poet of born in Kandhla
• Sachal Sarmast, Sufi Saint.
• Javed Sheikh, Pakistani Actor.
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indian actor.
• Emraan Hashmi, Indian actor.
• Huma Qureshi, Indian actress.
• Shakeel Siddiqui, Pakistani comedian, stage artist and performer.
• Farooq Sheikh, Indian actor (Bollywood and theatre), television presenter and philanthropist.
• Shaikh Ayaz, Sindhi poet of Pakistan.
• Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, a politician, an Indian independence activist and a socialist, sometimes described as an Islamic socialist.
• Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai, a prominent Indian chemist and politician.
• Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Bengali statesman and leader of the Bangladesh independence movement.

See also

• Sheikh
• Shaikhzada
• Siddiqui
• Qidwai
• Sindhi Shaikh
• Punjabi Shaikh
• Muslim Kayasths

References