f . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁contained ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 ▁houses ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁Muslim s . ▁The ▁town ' s ▁chief ▁comm od ity ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁was ▁gra in , ▁which ▁it ▁export ed ▁locally . ▁Tim ber ▁and ▁cloth ▁were ▁the ▁principal ▁imports . ▁Good s ▁traffic ▁was ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁town ' s ▁railway ▁station ▁which ▁also ▁served ▁all ▁the ▁villages ▁between ▁She ikh ▁M ask in ▁and ▁the ▁Le j ah ▁region . ▁In ▁the ▁It ▁grew ▁consider ably ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁The ▁town ▁hosted ▁the ▁administrative ▁offices ▁of ▁Ha ur an ' s ▁local ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁this ▁century . ▁The ▁population ▁was ▁" ex clus ively ▁Muslim " ▁according ▁to ▁John ▁Murray . ▁ ▁Its ▁she ikh ▁(" ch ief ") ▁was ▁Ah med ▁al - H ari ri ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Ah med ▁al - T urk ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁She ikh ▁M ush a ikh ▁al - H aur an ▁(" ch ief ▁of ▁chief s ▁of ▁the ▁Ha ur an "). ▁His ▁tribe ▁claimed ▁descent ▁from ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁proph et ▁Muhammad ▁and ▁were ▁thus ▁known ▁as ▁sh ar ifs . ▁In ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁confront ations ▁between ▁the ▁region ' s ▁Dru ze ▁and