Sherif

Sherif

(Arab. for noble) designates, among Moslems, a descendant of Mohammed through, his daughter Fatima and Ali. The title is inherited both from the maternal and paternal side; and thus the number of members of this aristocracy is very large. The men have the privilege of wearing the green turban, the women the green veil; and they mostly avail. themselves of this outward badge of nobilility (the prophet's color), while that of the other Moslems' turbans is white. Many of these sherifs founded dynasties in Africa; and the line which now rules in Fez and Morocco still boasts of that proud designation.