 Abdurrahman al-Gabarti felt compelled to explain that a certain As-Sayyid Ali Al-Qhabtan was a Mamluk and not a Sharif, as might have been mistakenly inferred from his title.The title in this case, meaning a Mamluk master, originated from the Maghribi usage of "Sidi", which was equivalent in meaning to Emir or Shaikh.In modern usage, "Sayyid" has lost its religious significance and means simply "Mister".