Sharif Sheikh Ahmed

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (Somali: Shariif Sheekh Axmed, Arabic: شريف شيخ أحمد‎; born 25 July 1964) is a Somali politician. Between 2009–2012, he was the President of Somalia. He also previously served as the Commander in Chief of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), the group of Sharia Courts that opposed the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). He speaks Arabic, Somali, Italian and English.

Early life and education

Sharif Ahmed was born in Mahaday a town in southern Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. He is a member of the Abgaal clan.

Sharif began his education at the Sheikh Sufi Institute, which was associated with Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He then went to Sudan and entered University of Kordofan in late 1992, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in the Arabic language (major) and geography (minor) in the city of Aldalanj. In 1994, the university was renamed to the Dalanj University, and Sheikh Sharif left for Tripoli, the capital of Libya, after having completed only two out of the required four years. In Libya, he entered the Open University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Law and Islamic Shariah, graduating in 1998. He worked as a secondary school teacher of geography, Arabic, and religious studies.

Sheikh Ahmed

Sheikh Ahmed (died 1529) was one of the sons of Ahmed Khan bin Küchük of the Great Horde, a remnant of the Golden Horde. He became the last Khan of the Horde.

After the assassination of Ahmed Khan in 1481, his sons feuded for power and it only further weakened the Horde. The Horde, historically allied with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was fighting with the Crimean Khanate, allied with the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

In 1500, the Muscovite–Lithuanian War resumed. Lithuania once again allied with the Great Horde. In 1501, Khan Sheikh Ahmed attacked Muscovite forces near Rylsk, Novhorod-Siverskyi, and Starodub. Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon was preoccupied with his succession in the Kingdom of Poland and did not participate in the campaign. A harsh winter combined with burning of the steppe by Meñli I Giray, Khan of the Crimean Khanate, resulted in famine among Sheikh Ahmed's forces. Many of his men deserted him and the remainder was defeated on the Sula River in June 1502.

Sharif

Sharīf Asharif or Alsharif (Arabic: شريف‎ šarīf) or Chérif (Darija: Chorfa) is a traditional Arab title in origin, the word is an adjective meaning "noble", "highborn". The feminine singular is sharifa(h) (Arabic: شريفة‎ šarīfah). The masculine plural is Ashraf (Arabic: اشراف‎ ʾašrāf).

Sunnis in the Arab world reserve the term sharif for descendants of Hasan ibn Ali, while sayyid is used for descendants of Husayn ibn Ali, Hasan's younger brother. Both Hasan and Husayn are grandchildren of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, through the marriage of his cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima. However ever since the post-Hashemite era began in 1925 after the fall of the Sharif of Mecca, the term sayyid has been used to denote descendants from both Hasan and Husayn. Shiites use the terms sayyid and habib to denote descendants from both Hasan and Husayn; see also ashraf.

From 1201 until 1925, when the Hejaz was conquered by Ibn Saud, this family (the descendants of Hasan ibn Ali) held the office of the Sharīf of Mecca, often also carrying the title and office of King of Hejaz. Descendants now rule the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the name being taken from the Banu Hashim, the sub-tribe of Banu Quraish, to which Muhammad belonged.

Sharif (disambiguation)

Sharif (also transliterated Sharīf or Sherif) is an Arabic word (شريف) meaning "noble" or "honourable" and a traditional Arab tribal title.

Sharif may also refer to:

Titles

People

Places

Other

See also

Sharif (cricketer)

Sharif is a List A cricketer from Bangladesh. He played one match for Chittagong Division in 2001/02, scoring 10 and taking 1 for 14 against the touring Zimbabweans.