Mr Yūsuf Hānī Ibrāhīm-Shawah (Youssef Brahim Shawah) was born in Beirut, Syria (now Lebanon) around 1879.

He worked as a labourer and was married and had four young children. His wife's mother had died around 1911 and this compelled him to travel to Texas where his father-in-law Sim'īn Yūsuf 'Atī Allīh lived. The original plan was for he and his wife and children to all travel but all but they became afflicted with trachoma and were unable to join him on the journey.  

Yūsuf boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg as a third class passenger (joint ticket number 2627 which had cost £14, 9s, 2d) and was travelling with his sister-in-law Malakah Atā Allāh, the younger sister of his wife.

Yūsuf and his sister-in-law died in the sinking and their bodies, if recovered, were never identified. His widow and children received £37, 10s from the Titanic Relief Fund.  Susian Shawah later made a claim for $15,000 against the White Star Line, for the loss of her husband.