Saif

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A well-used, typical 19th century CE Saif.

A saif (from Arabic سيف, literally 'sword') also Saif, Sayf, Seif is a curved Arabian sword.

Description

These swords are the early medieval era Arabian swords, which were straight, short and double edged, much like the Late Roman Spatha. The curved sword, the sabre, is called muhaddab in Arabia and occurred after the Turkish Seljuk migration from Central Asia to Anatolia, bringing with them the saber design, which influenced the entire region. The word shamshir is Persian and refers to a straight-edged sword as well as to a curved-edged sword, depending on the era of usage.

The misnomer scimitar normally refers to either a saif or a shamshir. For more information on specific types see:

• Shamshir (Persia)
• Kilij (Turkey and Egypt)
• Tulwar (Indian Subcontinent)
• Nimcha (North Africa)
• Pulwar (Afghanistan)
• Scimitar
• Dao (sword) (Sino-Mongolian)

Illustrated examples

• Typical Hadhrami, Yemeni Saif
• Typical Nejdi, Northern Arabian Saif
• Typical Shami/Damascene, Syrian-Arab Saif
• Typical Baghdadi Saif

Symbolism

The sword (or saif) is an important symbol in Arab cultures, and is used as a metaphore in many phrases in the Arabic language.^{[citation needed]}

The word occurs also in various symbolic and status titles in Arabic (and adopted in other languages) used in Islamic states, notably:

• in the Yemenite independent imamate^{[citation needed]}
  • Saif al-Haq, meaning "Sword of Truth".^{[citation needed]}
  • Saif al-Islam, "Sword of faith" or (literally) "Sword of those submitted to the will of Allah", was a subsidiary title borne (after their name and patronym) by male members of the al-Qasimi dynasty (whose primary title, before the name, was Amir), especially sons of the ruling Imam.^{[citation needed]}
• Saif ud-Daula and variations mean "Sword of the State"^{[citation needed]}
• Saif Ullah Al-masloul the "drawn sword of God" was conferred by the Prophet Muhammed, uniquely, to the recent convert and military commander Khalid Ibin Al-Walid^{[citation needed]}
• Saif ul-Mulk "sword of the realm" was an honorary title awarded by the Mughal Padshahs of Hind (India), e.g. as one of the personal titles (including Nawab bahadur, one rank above his dynasty's) conferred in 1658 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (whose life he is said to have saved by slaying a charging tiger with a single blow) to Nawab Muhammad Bayazid Khan Bahadur, a high mansabdar, whose jagir of Malerkotla was by sanad raised to Imperial riyasat, thus becoming an independent ruler.^{[citation needed]}
• Saif Ali, "Sword of Ali", referring to arguably most famous sword in Islamic history, belonging to both the Prophet, and later, Imam/Khalifa Ali, Zulfikar, and with which Ali slew a Makkan foot soldier, cleaving both his helmet and head, at the Battle of Uhud, to which Prophet Muhammed remarked ""Lā fatā illa 'Alī, lā sayf illa dhū 'l-fiqār" (لا فتى إلا علي لا سيف إلا ذو الفقار ) 'There is no hero except Ali, and there is no sword except Zulfikar' and with which he slew Amr, a ferocious and devastating Makkan soldier at the Battle of the Trench at Madinah.^{[citation needed]}
• Sayfo is the Aramaic cognate also menaing "sword", and is commonly used as a metaphore to denote the eradication and ethnic cleansing of Christians, specifically Assyrians in Turkish-controlled parts of the Middle East during World War I

Saif and Saif al Din "Sword of the [Islamic] faith" are also common masculine (and male) Islamic names.

See also

• Dao

Sources and references

• RoyalArk- see each present country