An interesting Somali Shia connection

[Som]

Ibn battuta visited Zeila and described inhabitants as rafidha(shia). Some scholars claim that somalis still retain some shia like practices like praising Fatima a lot.
Their country is a desert of two months' extent. The first part is termed Zaila, the last Makdashü. The greatest part of the inhabitants of Zaila, however, are of the Räfiza sect

Who knows when Zeila came back to Ahlu Sunna, sources are very scarce unfortunately

 

[Djokovic]

Ibn battuta is not a reliable source

 

[Som]

Ibn battuta is not a reliable source

Maybe. But he is one of the few sources. Apparently he actually went there

 

[Hamzza]

Ibn battuta visited Zeila and described inhabitants as rafidha(shia). Some scholars claim that somalis still retain some shia like practices like praising Fatima a lot.
Their country is a desert of two months' extent. The first part is termed Zaila, the last Makdashü. The greatest part of the inhabitants of Zaila, however, are of the Räfiza sect

Who knows when Zeila came back to Ahlu Sunna, sources are very scarce unfortunately

Zayidi Shias lived in both Northern and Southern Somalia according to early Arab geographers.

Zayidi Shias in Benadir

Zayidi Shias living side by side with their Shafi'i brothers in Berbera(N Somalia) according to one Arab explorer before Ibn Battuta.

 

[Somalihero]

Zaidis are considered very much closer to the Sunnis Islam than Ithana Asharia Shia because of their position on Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and Omar bin Al-Khattab. Their fiqh are similar to the Shafi school of Sunni Islam. They pray and intermarry with Sunni.

 

[Dualke]

Wasn't there a much larger persian influence in Somalia during the middle ages? Would explain why cadcads have significant persian admixture

 

[Shangani]

Wasn't there a much larger persian influence in Somalia during the middle ages? Would explain why cadcads have significant persian admixture

Iran was sunni until 300 years go.

 

[Mr. Wabrii]

Zayidi Shias lived in both Northern and Southern Somalia according to early Arab geographers.


View attachment 260643
Zayidi Shias in Benadir
View attachment 260644
Zayidi Shias living side by side with their Shafi'i brothers in Berbera(N Somalia) according to one Arab explorer before Ibn Battuta.

Yep and apparently there was a Shia Masajid in Xamar Wayne during the 80's.

 

[SPMLegend]

Wasn't there a much larger persian influence in Somalia during the middle ages? Would explain why cadcads have significant persian admixture

Iran was Sunni at that time. Remember majority of Iranian philosophers and scholars were Sunni before Ismail shah invaded the region and massacred all the inhabitants who refused to convert.

 

[SPMLegend]

Yep and apparently there was a Shia Masajid in Xamar Wayne during the 80's.

Those Shias were most likely Indian refugees
Majority of them left the country afterwards

 

[Mr. Wabrii]

Those Shias were most likely Indian refugees
Majority of them left the country afterwards

Yep your right, i think some IDP's were living in the Masajid after the Shia's left.

 

[SPMLegend]

Yep your right, i think some IDP's were living in the Masajid after the Shia's left.

Some of their descendants were brought to the coastal areas of Kenya and Nairobi city by the colonials. The Somali Salafi movement was very dominant in the 90s which helped stop any shirk from being spread by these Indian refugees in Kenya especially in Lamu & Mombasa. I know they are trying to start a foothold mission in Tanzania but in’sha’allah they are kicked out. Have you seen what the Iranians are trying to do in a Sunni majority Nigeria? They carry a dangerous ideology.

 

[vbdvllahj]

Some of their descendants were brought to the coastal areas of Kenya and Nairobi city by the colonials. The Somali Salafi movement was very dominant in the 90s which helped stop any shirk from being spread by these Indian refugees in Kenya especially in Lamu & Mombasa. I know they are trying to start a foothold mission in Tanzania but in’sha’allah they are kicked out. Have you seen what the Iranians are trying to do in a Sunni majority Nigeria? They carry a dangerous ideology.

It’s a huge problem that Indians are still dwelling in East Africa. Kenya better kick them out like Uganda did, but I guess Indians prosper wherever a stable democracy exists, and Kenya has the most prosperous one in all of east Africa

 

[Shangani]

Iran was sunni until 300 years go.

Most of the Shia Indians in Somalia and East Africa in general are Khoja from gujjrat in India.There were other Indians in Somalia but most were sunni and mixed with the locals. The Shias were Khojas who came in the 1860's mostly merchants with communities in Xamar, Merka, and Kismayo. Reer zulfiqar were our neighbors they owned one of the largest chain stores in xamar, most of the Shias in xamar were Indians with a few that mixed with somalis. Reer Mama, Reer Dewji, Reer Muraj, Reer Okera. They left xamar took boats with them to Mombasa and Zanzibar where most of them still live some moved to London and Toronto.

 

[Cartan Boos]

I had a lot of Shia friends good people

 

[Arabsiyawi]

Ibn battuta visited Zeila and described inhabitants as rafidha(shia). Some scholars claim that somalis still retain some shia like practices like praising Fatima a lot.
Their country is a desert of two months' extent. The first part is termed Zaila, the last Makdashü. The greatest part of the inhabitants of Zaila, however, are of the Räfiza sect

Who knows when Zeila came back to Ahlu Sunna, sources are very scarce unfortunately

The part about our love for ahlul bayt is indeed true, especially when it comes to Fatima Zahra.
There are dozens of folkloric songs (sitaat) and dances mentioning and praising her.

 

[Danakiil]

Wonder what happened to the northern shias?