Janab, Janaab or Janob (Persian spelling) (; ) is an
Islamic honorary title, which means "Sir" in English.
The title has been carried by many Islamic poet and writers. The compound style Janab-e-Ashraf (
جانبِ الشرف ''janāb-i ashraf'' - literal meaning "the Field of Honour",
Ashraf
Sharīf ( ar, شريف, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, fr ...
being a provincial aristocrat) was borne by prime ministers and can be translated as
His Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness (abbreviation: HSH, second person address: Your Serene Highness) is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Over the past 400 years, it has also used as a style for senior members ...
.
In the
Arabic-speaking
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, it is used as a way of addressing certain high officials or someone very respectful, also even as a polite title added after a man's surname or used as the plural for
''Mister (Mr.)'' before a list of men's names. It literally also used and means "
(the) Right Honourable" or "
Esquire,
Messrs
''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...
,
Esq".
At the court of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
's
Shahanshahs of the imperial
Qajar dynasty, precedence for non-members of the dynasty was organized in eight protocollary classes, generally coupled to various offices and qualities; the highest of these, styled
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
, was usually reserved for princes, while the six classes were awarded to various ministers, officers, commanders, Muslim clergy and so on. Ranking only below Nawab and
Shakhs-i-Awwal (usually present and former Prime Ministers), Janab was the style borne by senior Ministers of State, high ranking clergy.
See also
*
Allamah
References
{{reflist
Court titles