Siyyid

Siyyid, also spelled Sayyid, Seyyed, or Syed, is a title and honorific used in Persian and wider Muslim contexts. It derives from the Arabic word Sayyid, meaning “lord” or “master,” and in Persian transliteration appears as Siyyid.

In many Muslim communities, a Siyyid is a male descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah and son-in-law Ali, tracing lineage through Hasan or Husayn. The status is especially recognized in Shia communities, but the term is widely used beyond them as a marker of genealogical or social prestige. In practice, Sayyids may prefix their given names with Siyyid (for example, Siyyid Hasan) and may also be recorded as a family name or clan identifier.

The designation carries social and sometimes religious prestige, and in various regions genealogical verification exists. Not all who use the title can document descent, and the status is not a universal indicator of piety or authority. The term also appears in different linguistic forms: Sayyid in Arabic-speaking areas; in South Asia and parts of the Muslim world it is commonly rendered as Syed or Sayed; in the Maghreb a related title is Sidi.

Thus, Siyyid denotes a historically significant lineage claim in many Muslim societies and functions as a respected honorific, rather than a fixed legal or religious office.