" 

 == Sharif == 

 The Arabic (Urdu, too) word is شریف, and is pronounced ""shuh-'reef"" (long e). I would prefer ""Sharif"" as the commonest spelling and ""Shareef"" as the best. IMHO, let's try the latter. And be open to what the consensus of Wikipedia users want to go with. [This is often expresed by editing. D] I am not an Arab myself, and would defer to someone from that region (Saudi Arabia and/or Jordan specifically—the family now rules the latter country), if I thought they were being reasonable. 

 Though I think Hussein bin Ali's name is often written ""Sherif""the early 1900s were a time of Turkish and French influence in the region. 

 One last thing, let me check how Lawrence (of Arabia) spells it in the Seven Pillars of Wisdom... yup: Sherif Hussein ... See: http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/l/lawrence/te/seven/chapter8.html, etc.—  "