Naqib al-ashraf

Naqib al-ashraf (Arabic: نقيب الأشراف) (plural: nuqaba or niqabat) was a governmental post in various Muslim empires denoting the head or supervisor of the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The descendants of Muhammad were known as ashraf and throughout Islamic history, the ashraf organized themselves into large groups, akin to corporations, throughout the various Muslim territories. This was done to ensure their special place in Muslim society and thus maintain their socio-political privileges.

The office dated back at least to the Mamluk era and was maintained by the Ottoman Empire. During the Ottoman era, there was an imperial naqib al-ashraf who appointed subordinate provincial nuqaba al-ashraf. The appointments were renewed or changed on an annual basis. The official role of the imperial naqib al-ashraf was to keep updated lists of the ashraf and to distribute to the provincial nuqaba al-ashraf the goods and funds that they required to administer the affairs of the ashraf under their respective jurisdictions. Ashraf in the Ottoman Empire were accorded special privileges, including personal inviolability, certain tax exemptions and immunity from regular prosecution. In the event of a legal complaint against a member of the ashraf, the naqib al-ashraf would prosecute and judge the alleged offender.

The imperial naqib al-ashraf was typically a member of the ashraf based in the Ottoman capital of Istanbul. The naqib al-ashraf played a significant role in the sultanic court ceremonials in Istanbul.