Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān
Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān | |
|---|---|
| Title | Arab Faqih |
| Personal life | |
| Era | Adal Sultanate |
| Region | Horn of Africa |
| Main interest(s) | Warfare |
| Notable work(s) | Futūh al-Habasha |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Jurisprudence | Sunni |
Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān, most commonly known as Arab Faqīh, was a Yemeni writer from the port of Jizan.[1] Best known for writing the chronicle "Futuh al-Habasha", a first hand account of the Ethiopian-Adal war in the 16th century.[2][3]
Biography
Arab Faqih was a citizen of the Adal Sultanate and a religious Sufi.[4][5] He is believed to be of Yemeni descent according to most modern scholars.[3][6][7][8][9] Arab Faqih was a companion of Šams ad-Din ‘Ali bin 'Umar aš-Šādili al-Qarši al-Yemeni who according to French linguist René Basset established coffee drinking into Arabia.[10]
His surname in the Harari language was 'Arab Faqih,' which translates to "the Arab Jurist," a name suggesting Arab Yemeni roots. Enrico Cerulli described him as probably a Harari, while noting that the title ‘Arab Faqih’ could point to Yemeni origins.[11][12]
He used to document his work (which were left unfinished) in Jizan, Yemen.[12]
Linguist Giorgio Banti states it is noteworthy that his name Arab Faqīh is constructed using Arabic vocabulary while adhering to Harari grammatical rules.[13]
Arab Faqih is notable for writing the "Futuh al-Habasha" which details the sixteenth century war between Adal and Abyssinia from the point of view of Harar residents.[14]
References
- ^ Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (October 2019). "Between Eastern Africa and Western India, 1500–1650: Slavery, Commerce, and Elite Formation". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 61 (4): 832. doi:10.1017/S0010417519000276. JSTOR 26795933.
- ^ Gori, Alessandro. Arab Faqīh. BRILL.
- ^ a b Erlich, Haggai (2023-04-24), "3 The Trauma of Gragn and the Diplomacy of Habesh", Ethiopia and the Middle East, Lynne Rienner Publishers, pp. 29–40, doi:10.1515/9781685852672-004/html, ISBN 978-1-68585-267-2, retrieved 2026-02-25
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) Page 30: The contemporary Yemeni (from Jizan) chronicler of Ahmad Gragn, Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Qadir, better known as 'Arab Faqih - ^ Wion, Anaïs (2023). Amélie Chekroun, La conquête de l'Ethiopie. Un jihad au xvie siècle (PDF). Paris, CNRS Èditions. p. 108.
- ^ Chekroun, Amelie (2015). Des futūḥ au Futūḥ al-Ḥabaša: usage symbolique d'un modèle littéraire arabe classique dans l'Éthiopie islamique du xvie siècle. Histoire ancienne et médiévale. Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. pp. 309–317. ISBN 979-10-351-0142-8.
- ^ YaʼItyop̣yā qwānqwāwočenā sena ṣeḥuf maṣḥét. Addis Ababa University. 1997. p. 27.
- ^ Getahun, Solomon (27 February 2014). Culture and Customs of Ethiopia. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 979-8-216-06942-3.
- ^ Pankhurst, Richard (2009). "Barara, the Royal City of 15th and Early 16th Century (Ethiopia). Medieval and Other Early Settlements Between Wechecha Range and Mt Yerer: Results from a Recent Survey". Annales d'Éthiopie. 24: Introduction. doi:10.3406/ethio.2009.1394.
we are deeply indebted to one of Imam Ahmad's followers, Sihab ad-Din Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Qader bin Salim bin 'Uthman. He was a scholarly Yemani, who accompanied his master and hero on several of his expeditions.
- ^ Hassen, Mohammed (2017-12-04). "The Genealogy and Ethnic Identity of Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim Al-Gazi (Gragn) of Ethiopia: A Historiographical Reappraisal". East African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 2 (2). doi:10.20372/eaj (inactive 1 July 2025). ISSN 2959-149X. Archived from the original on 2024-12-29.
written by a Yemeni Arab chronicler known as Shihab al-din Ahmed bin Abd al-Qader bin Salem bin Uthman (for short Shihab al din, alias known as Arab Faqih in Ethiopian sources
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link) - ^ Faqih, Arab; Pankhurst, Richard. Conquest of Abyssinia. p. 5.
- ^ Cerulli, Enrico. ʿArabfaḳih. Brill.
- ^ a b Cerulli, Enrico. Islam yesterday and today. p. 134.
probably was a Harari, Footnote: He used to write his accomplishment (remained incomplete) in Yemen at Jizan; and his surname (in Harari language) was 'Arab Faqih the Arab Jurist could indicate a Yemenite who came to Harar as much as he is, probably, a native of Harar and who was so learned of Arabic to merit that surname.
- ^ Banti, Giorgio. The literature of Harar until the end of the 19th century (PDF). Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura. p. 151.
- ^ Chekroun, Amelie (2016). Ottomans, Yemenis and the "Conquest of Abyssinia" (1531-1543). Corne de l'Afrique contemporaine / Contemporary Horn of Africa. Centre français des études éthiopiennes. pp. 163–174. ISBN 978-2-11-172313-9.