He held the ceremonial but prestigious title after the death of his younger brother Mudaffar Syah II, during the years 2016–2019.
Sjarifuddin was born in Ternate, in what was then the Dutch East Indies in 1933, as the son of Sultan Muhammad Jabir and Hamidah Hafel.
However, his younger brother Mudaffar Sjah, born from a more high-ranking consort, was generally accepted as the heir; he was formally installed in 1986, though unofficially from Jakarta's point of view.
However, after Mudaffar Sjah's death in 2015 a conflict emerged within the sultan's family as to who was the rightful successor.
It was understood to be a pragmatic agreement in order to put an end to the contest between three sons of Mudaffar.