Title: If a Child Gets his Name from his Father, then what is a Syed ? Question: It is believed and practiced that a child gets his name from his father's side. Generations are carried on by male children of the family. The question is that the prophet (pbuh) didn't have a son. He (pbuh) only had a daughter then on what basis can any one claim to be a " Syed "? Answer: I do agree with you that in most of the societies, including the Arab society, people were and are given the names of their fathers. Under these circumstances, it does seem quite odd that people should call themselves " Syed " and then claim that they belong to the bloodline of the Prophet (pbuh), especially when the Prophet (pbuh) had no male offspring, who reached the age of majority and marriage. In any case, being or not being a " Syed " has nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. In my opinion, if a person claims to be a " Syed ", it only means that he claims to belong to the family of Ali (ra). But even if such a claim is accepted, it has absolutely no significance in the "Islam" that I know of. 17 th May 1998