Imam Ahmed Gurey? Somali, harari, or Yemeni?

ladySomal206

ladySomal206

So I’m reading futuh Al Habasa and surprised by how we claim Ahmed gurey but there is no evidence of him being Somali.


“They never described imam Ahmad gurey as Somali in the Book “Futuh Al-Habasa-Conquest of Abyssinia”. They mentioned the First Somalis to reach harar as Habr Maqdi and they showed of their equipment and their weapons, and paraded their horses. They were knights, and what nights! And they were foot-soldiers; and what foot soldiers! The imam rejoiced at their arrival exceedingly. After the tribe of Girri came. Their chieftain was bin Utman bin kaled, the Somali. They showed their weaponary and armour, paraded their horses and had their bows Slung sash like over their shoulders as they met the imam face to face. Tribe Zarba came after…the tribe marraihan was however wavering. Their chieftain was a man fond of intrigue and procrastination. Extremely willy, double-dealings and swindles. The imam organized some of his soldiers and went to the marraihan and confronted hirabu and his tribe and said to him “why are you lagging behind in coming on jihad? Hirabu complained and excused himself on the grounds of his poverty stricken state. The imam accepted his excuse, and then said to him “but no good will come to you from just wishing (things will improve “) thereupon hirabu appointed his nephew to command the marraihan and they rallied around the imam- ninety calvalry and more than seven hundred foot soldiers. The imam went back to his city of harar, taking the tribe of marraihan with him. ( pg 43-44)
The imam Ahmad…summoned the sultan Muhammad son of the sultan Ali son of his maternal aunt, and the sheikh Ans, son of the shiekh sihab bin Abd Al wahab, son of the sheikh buba, and put under their command all the tribes of harla, as for instance the tribe of zaman bara, the tribe of bazara with their chieftain, the tribe of yaqula, and the tribe of Jasar, the tribe of ‘Arab Tka, and the tribe of Al-Qa all of these belong to Harla. The imam commanded them to hold the Muslims’ right
Then he assembled the Somali tribes: the tribe of girri, the tribe of marraihan, the tribe of yibberi with the chieftain Ahmed Girri, the tribe of the Harti, people of Mait, the tribe of jaran, the tribe of mazzar. The tribe of barsub: all of these were Somalis and they were ordered by the imam to hold the left. In the center was the imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim, may the most high god have mercy on him, with the Calvary surrounding him, like ferocious lions. The leaders of the knights were emir Husain bin Abu Bakr Al-Guturi, the emir Zaharbui Muhammad, and farasaham Ali, the wazir Nur Bin Ibrahim, the emir Mujahid, Farasaham as Sultan, and Abd anNasr, the sheikh Dawa, the emir Abu Bakr Qatin and Farasaham Din (pg 76)
On The left was the Somali Tribe of Harti, from the people of mait; a people not given to yielding. There were three hundred of them, famous amoung the infantry as stolid swordsmen. In the same way there was the tribe of yibberi, around four hundred infantrymen, archers. Some the imam attached them to five hundred who held the centre, saying to them “hold your positions; don’t budge, any of you’ “the tribe Girri were all horsemen, renowned as riders…( pg 77) “
 
S

somalipatriot

Unfortunately, therefore lack of any wisdom
ladySomal206 said:
So I’m reading futuh Al Habasa and surprised by how we claim Ahmed gurey but there is no evidence of him being Somali.


“They never described imam Ahmad gurey as Somali in the Book “Futuh Al-Habasa-Conquest of Abyssinia”. They mentioned the First Somalis to reach harar as Habr Maqdi and they showed of their equipment and their weapons, and paraded their horses. They were knights, and what nights! And they were foot-soldiers; and what foot soldiers! The imam rejoiced at their arrival exceedingly. After the tribe of Girri came. Their chieftain was bin Utman bin kaled, the Somali. They showed their weaponary and armour, paraded their horses and had their bows Slung sash like over their shoulders as they met the imam face to face. Tribe Zarba came after…the tribe marraihan was however wavering. Their chieftain was a man fond of intrigue and procrastination. Extremely willy, double-dealings and swindles. The imam organized some of his soldiers and went to the marraihan and confronted hirabu and his tribe and said to him “why are you lagging behind in coming on jihad? Hirabu complained and excused himself on the grounds of his poverty stricken state. The imam accepted his excuse, and then said to him “but no good will come to you from just wishing (things will improve “) thereupon hirabu appointed his nephew to command the marraihan and they rallied around the imam- ninety calvalry and more than seven hundred foot soldiers. The imam went back to his city of harar, taking the tribe of marraihan with him. ( pg 43-44)
The imam Ahmad…summoned the sultan Muhammad son of the sultan Ali son of his maternal aunt, and the sheikh Ans, son of the shiekh sihab bin Abd Al wahab, son of the sheikh buba, and put under their command all the tribes of harla, as for instance the tribe of zaman bara, the tribe of bazara with their chieftain, the tribe of yaqula, and the tribe of Jasar, the tribe of ‘Arab Tka, and the tribe of Al-Qa all of these belong to Harla. The imam commanded them to hold the Muslims’ right
Then he assembled the Somali tribes: the tribe of girri, the tribe of marraihan, the tribe of yibberi with the chieftain Ahmed Girri, the tribe of the Harti, people of Mait, the tribe of jaran, the tribe of mazzar. The tribe of barsub: all of these were Somalis and they were ordered by the imam to hold the left. In the center was the imam Ahmad bin Ibrahim, may the most high god have mercy on him, with the Calvary surrounding him, like ferocious lions. The leaders of the knights were emir Husain bin Abu Bakr Al-Guturi, the emir Zaharbui Muhammad, and farasaham Ali, the wazir Nur Bin Ibrahim, the emir Mujahid, Farasaham as Sultan, and Abd anNasr, the sheikh Dawa, the emir Abu Bakr Qatin and Farasaham Din (pg 76)
On The left was the Somali Tribe of Harti, from the people of mait; a people not given to yielding. There were three hundred of them, famous amoung the infantry as stolid swordsmen. In the same way there was the tribe of yibberi, around four hundred infantrymen, archers. Some the imam attached them to five hundred who held the centre, saying to them “hold your positions; don’t budge, any of you’ “the tribe Girri were all horsemen, renowned as riders…( pg 77) “
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He was Somali no historian or individual disputes this fact
 
Clllam

Clllam

Æ
That book focused more on uniting muslims (Somalis, Hararis, some Canfar, and a few Yemenis) against Xabesha Christians rather than uniting Somalis alone hence why his ethnicity is never emphasised.

The Walashama dynasty was most definitely Somali and descendants of Al-Kawneyn while all the Ifat sultans were based in Aw Barkhadle near Hargeysa until around 1520.

The most important Scholars in east Africa like Cerulli and Lewis agree that Axmed Gurey was a somali and ethiopian scholars also confirm this.

Only very recently have Canfars and Insignificant minorities tried to claim that he wasn’t Somali.
 
ladySomal206

ladySomal206

Clllam said:
That book focused more on uniting muslims (Somalis, Hararis, some Canfar, and a few Yemenis) against Xabesha Christians rather than uniting Somalis alone hence why his ethnicity is never emphasised.

The Walashama dynasty was most definitely Somali and descendants of Al-Kawneyn while all the Ifat sultans were based in Aw Barkhadle near Hargeysa until around 1520.

The most important Scholars in east Africa like Cerulli and Lewis agree that Axmed Gurey was a somali and ethiopian scholars also confirm this.

Only very recently have Canfars and Insignificant minorities tried to claim that he wasn’t Somali.
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Most definitely, Ahmed Gurey was a person who wanted to unite Muslims under the banner of Islam, and that was when the ummah was the strongest- May Allah have mercy of him.

Although they mention everyone else’s ethnicity including close family but never mention his is a bit weird to me. Maybe they just assumed everyone knew? Out of the many tribes of Somalis who came, I find it odd he wasn’t linked to them.

It seems his base was in Harar and they allude it to as his home. I understand boarders and geographical dynamics were different but this is significant. I get Zeila to Harar was under Adal control.

“According to some, the Walashma princes of Ifat and Adal possessed Arab genealogical traditions.[2][3]

In terms of lineage, Walashma traditions trace descent from Bani Makhzoum Qureishitic Tribe by El Maqrisi in his book Kit-āb-alilmām-biakhbār-man-biarḍ-alḤabashah-min-mulūk-alIslām; But Ifat Sultanate trace descent from Akīl ibn Abī Tālib, the brother of the Caliph ʿAlī and Djaʿfar ibn Abī Tālib, by El Maqrisi in his book Kit-āb-alilmām-biakhbār-man-biarḍ-alḤabashah-min-mulūk-alIslām. The latter was among the earliest Muslims to settle in the Horn region. However, the semi-legendary apologetic History of the Walasma asserts that ʿUmar ibn-Dunya-hawz had as a progenitor Caliph ʿAlī's son al-Hasan.[2] This is not supported by both Maqriziand the chronicle of the Walashma. But Umar Walashma, whom both assert the founder of the dynasty, was of Quraysh or Hashimite origin.[3][4]

However, the Walashma dynasty of Ifat is more commonly linked with the Sheikh Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn,[5] who is described as a native Somali man from Zeila.[6][7][8]Furthermore, in the book, "The History of Islam in Africa", the Sheikh aforementioned is known for establishing this dynasty.[9] Also, the Aw Barkhadle site is also known as an important burial site of the Muslim rulers of Adal and the Walashma dynasty, Al-Kowneyn himself of the Walashma dynasty of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD is buried in this town (and is known for establishing this royal dynasty.)[10] Although as do most Somali and other Muslim tribes in the Horn of Africa possess mythical Arab genealogies connected to Hashimite origin, Walashma was probably a local origin.[11] (Wikipedia)”


Imam Ahmad is regarded by most scholars as an ethnic, However a few historians have dismissed the Somali theory. Merid Wolde Aregay argued Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi belonged to the Harla dynasty of rulers through his father.[14] Mohammed Hassan also states Ahmed was the son of Garad Ibrahim, a provincial governor of Sim in Harla realm.[15]According to Taddesse Tamrat, although various Somali clans were involved in the conquest, Ahmed was not a Somali and had links to the Semitic-speaking Wâlasma aristocracy.[16] Some sources assert Ahmad was Harari,[17][18] while others regard him as Afar or Balaw.[19][20]

Many Somali clans played a strong role in Gurey's conquest of Abyssinia, however, it is said that these clans went to war not so much as Somalis but as Muslims.[21][22] In the Futuh al-Habasa of Sihab ad-Din records that when the Sultan Umar Din of Harar and the Imam quarrelled over the distribution of the alms tax at some point between the Battle of Shimbra Kure and the Battle of Amba Sel, it led to Imam Ahmad leaving Harar to retire to live amongst Somalis for some time and regularly mediated disputes between clans[23]

Historian Whiteway, R. S. (Richard Stephen) based on the accounts of the Portuguese expeditions to Abyssinia had this much to say about Imam Ahmads background:

Of the early history of the Imam Ahmad but little is known. He was the son of one Ibrahim el Ghazi, and both he and his father were common soldiers in the troop of Garad Aboun. Nothing even is said as to his nationality. He was certainly not an Arab: probably he was a Somali, for we find him closely connected with many who were Somalis.[24]
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Patrick Gikes however states:

Emir Ahmed Gurrey, known to the Ethiopians as Ahmed Gran. The emir himself was almost certainly from one of the pre-Somali peoples around Harar, but Somalis from a number of clans, particularly the Gorgora, a clan that probably originated around Zelia, certainly fought in his armies. Ahmed himself probably had no direct links with Somalis other than recruiting them, but his mythic value was substantial. He had launched a highly successful jihad against Ethiopia in the 1530s.[25]
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I. M. Lewis discusses the existence of another leader named Ahmad Gurey, and suggests that the two leaders have been conflated into one historical figure:

The text refers to two Ahmad's with the nickname 'Left-handed'. One is regularly presented as 'Ahmad Guray, the Somali' (...) identified as Ahmad Gurey Xuseyn, chief of the Habar Magaadle. Another reference, however, appears to link the Habar Magadle with the Eidagal. The other Ahmad is simply referred to as 'Imam Ahmad' or simply the 'Imam'.This Ahmad is not qualified by the adjective Somali (...) The two Ahmad's have been conflated into one figure, the heroic Ahmed Guray[26]
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The leading historian of Ethiopia, former Minister of Education, Arts & Culture and Dean of the National Library under Haile Selassie, Takla Sadiq Mekuria, devoted a short chapter to the question of origin of Gragn and the identity of the Malasay in his rough monograph on the Gragn Wars (1973/1974) called "Ya Gragn Warara", in it he draws on the evidence from Arab Faqih Sihab Uddin and the chronicles of Sarsa-Dengel. Takla was also able to draw on the oral tradition of Harar. Through the mediation of Dagazmac Wargnah he interviewed Ahmad Ali Sami, the highest authoritative scholar of Harar. Gragn's father was to come from the Hawiye (Somali clan) in the Ogaden; a genealogy of eight generations before Gragn is known in this tradition.”

Even the scholars are at odds and have conflicting information. What ever his ethnicity, he was a true believer as he United the ummah and led by unity.
 
U

UgaasWeli

ladySomal206 said:
Most definitely, Ahmed Gurey was a person who wanted to unite Muslims under the banner of Islam, and that was when the ummah was the strongest- May Allah have mercy of him.

Although they mention everyone else’s ethnicity including close family but never mention his is a bit weird to me. Maybe they just assumed everyone knew? Out of the many tribes of Somalis who came, I find it odd he wasn’t linked to them.

It seems his base was in Harar and they allude it to as his home. I understand boarders and geographical dynamics were different but this is significant. I get Zeila to Harar was under Adal control.

“According to some, the Walashma princes of Ifat and Adal possessed Arab genealogical traditions.[2][3]

In terms of lineage, Walashma traditions trace descent from Bani Makhzoum Qureishitic Tribe by El Maqrisi in his book Kit-āb-alilmām-biakhbār-man-biarḍ-alḤabashah-min-mulūk-alIslām; But Ifat Sultanate trace descent from Akīl ibn Abī Tālib, the brother of the Caliph ʿAlī and Djaʿfar ibn Abī Tālib, by El Maqrisi in his book Kit-āb-alilmām-biakhbār-man-biarḍ-alḤabashah-min-mulūk-alIslām. The latter was among the earliest Muslims to settle in the Horn region. However, the semi-legendary apologetic History of the Walasma asserts that ʿUmar ibn-Dunya-hawz had as a progenitor Caliph ʿAlī's son al-Hasan.[2] This is not supported by both Maqriziand the chronicle of the Walashma. But Umar Walashma, whom both assert the founder of the dynasty, was of Quraysh or Hashimite origin.[3][4]

However, the Walashma dynasty of Ifat is more commonly linked with the Sheikh Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn,[5] who is described as a native Somali man from Zeila.[6][7][8]Furthermore, in the book, "The History of Islam in Africa", the Sheikh aforementioned is known for establishing this dynasty.[9] Also, the Aw Barkhadle site is also known as an important burial site of the Muslim rulers of Adal and the Walashma dynasty, Al-Kowneyn himself of the Walashma dynasty of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD is buried in this town (and is known for establishing this royal dynasty.)[10] Although as do most Somali and other Muslim tribes in the Horn of Africa possess mythical Arab genealogies connected to Hashimite origin, Walashma was probably a local origin.[11] (Wikipedia)”


Imam Ahmad is regarded by most scholars as an ethnic, However a few historians have dismissed the Somali theory. Merid Wolde Aregay argued Ahmed ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi belonged to the Harla dynasty of rulers through his father.[14] Mohammed Hassan also states Ahmed was the son of Garad Ibrahim, a provincial governor of Sim in Harla realm.[15]According to Taddesse Tamrat, although various Somali clans were involved in the conquest, Ahmed was not a Somali and had links to the Semitic-speaking Wâlasma aristocracy.[16] Some sources assert Ahmad was Harari,[17][18] while others regard him as Afar or Balaw.[19][20]

Many Somali clans played a strong role in Gurey's conquest of Abyssinia, however, it is said that these clans went to war not so much as Somalis but as Muslims.[21][22] In the Futuh al-Habasa of Sihab ad-Din records that when the Sultan Umar Din of Harar and the Imam quarrelled over the distribution of the alms tax at some point between the Battle of Shimbra Kure and the Battle of Amba Sel, it led to Imam Ahmad leaving Harar to retire to live amongst Somalis for some time and regularly mediated disputes between clans[23]

Historian Whiteway, R. S. (Richard Stephen) based on the accounts of the Portuguese expeditions to Abyssinia had this much to say about Imam Ahmads background:


Patrick Gikes however states:


I. M. Lewis discusses the existence of another leader named Ahmad Gurey, and suggests that the two leaders have been conflated into one historical figure:


The leading historian of Ethiopia, former Minister of Education, Arts & Culture and Dean of the National Library under Haile Selassie, Takla Sadiq Mekuria, devoted a short chapter to the question of origin of Gragn and the identity of the Malasay in his rough monograph on the Gragn Wars (1973/1974) called "Ya Gragn Warara", in it he draws on the evidence from Arab Faqih Sihab Uddin and the chronicles of Sarsa-Dengel. Takla was also able to draw on the oral tradition of Harar. Through the mediation of Dagazmac Wargnah he interviewed Ahmad Ali Sami, the highest authoritative scholar of Harar. Gragn's father was to come from the Hawiye (Somali clan) in the Ogaden; a genealogy of eight generations before Gragn is known in this tradition.”
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Wasn't there a part of the futah that said he was habar maqdi where is all this arguing coming from?
 
C

canjeeroiyoshah

Dude was born in present day Awdal with an arabic name like majority of Somalis. What else could he be?

Hypothetically speaking if we were to say he was an arab then that would mean there was a minority community of arabs in Awdal at that time which would've mixed with the locals and you should see remnants of that community or even at least some folklore about their ancestry like the arab saleh in neighboring PL but that's not the case.
 
ladySomal206

ladySomal206

canjeeroiyoshah said:
Dude was born in present day Awdal with an arabic name like majority of Somalis. What else could he be?

Hypothetically speaking if we were to say he was an arab then that would mean there was a minority community of arabs in Awdal at that time which would've mixed with the locals and you should see remnants of that community or even at least some folklore about their ancestry like the arab saleh in neighboring PL but that's not the case.
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Well we do a have some J1 Somalis right now outside of Arab salah. Found in Ethiopia and Somalia. They are Somali autosomal wise. These include Isse Cadde (live among mjs), mohamed barre (bah girri-lived with Ogaden) and us who are Dhulbahante. I saw a sample who said he was marraihan also carry j1. I find it interesting that those who fought along side with Ahmed Gurey were also the same Somali tribes or what is very similar to where you find these j1 samples. I know Hararis also carry a higher amount of J1 but I haven’t seen a sample on family tree or yfull. The Somali J1, outside of Arab salah, thus far connect at 900 years some even closer at 500 years. @Reekha said her brother carried J1 also and they are yiber. Yibers were also some of the Somali fighters who fought with imam Gurey based on the book Futuh Al habasa. We definitely need more dna testing.
 
Clllam

Clllam

Æ
@ladySomal206
What most historians could debate is his clan, but the evidence seems to suggest that he was a Somali. The fact that he was born in Zeila (Possibly a geri?) is already going to point to him being a Somali.
 
ladySomal206

ladySomal206

Clllam said:
@ladySomal206
What most historians could debate is his clan, but the evidence seems to suggest that he was a Somali. The fact that he was born in Zeila (Possibly a geri?) is already going to point to him being a Somali.
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Yes, he was born in Hubat or Zeila but he could have been easily mixed of a Somali mother and harari or Yemeni father line. He married Bati ( Hariri or oromo) where they had a son mohamed I’m not sure if there were more children. We don’t know for sure as there are conflicting stories by historians. If he is Somali he has to be amoung those who fought with him.
 
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Clllam

Clllam

Æ
ladySomal206 said:
Yes, he was born in Hubat or Zeila but he could have been easily mixed of a Somali mother and harari or Yemeni father line. He married Bati ( Hariri or oromo) where they had a son mohamed I’m not sure if there were more children. We don’t know for sure as there are conflicting stories by historians. If he is Somali he has to be amoung those who fought with him.
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In the near future, I hope more research of the hundreds of manuscript in Harar could clear up this issue
 
ladySomal206

ladySomal206

UgaasWeli said:
Wasn't there a part of the futah that said he was habar maqdi where is all this arguing coming from?
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Under (The Somali tribes reach Harar in Futuh Al Habasa) pg 43 “ The first of the tribes to reach the imam was Habr Maqdi with their lord and chieftain Ahmed Girri bin Husain, the Somali. They encamped in a places called Qasa in the heights above the valley of Harar. They showed off their equipment and their weapons, and paraded their horses. They were knights and what nights! And they were foot soldiers; and what foot soldiers! The imam rejoiced at their arrival exceedingly. They meet the ima face to face, and he welcomed them with the warmest of welcomes. He have them gifts of apparel, and provisions, and treated them graciously, garbing their chieftain, Ahmed Girri, in particularly exquisite clothing. After them it was the tribe of Girri who came up. Their chieftain was Matan bin Utman bin kaled, the Somali they showed off their weaponry and armour paraded their horses and has their bows slung sash like over their shoulders…..read the rest in original post for more.

I didn’t see a connection to any particular ethnicity or tribe but the Somalis mentioned were his largest, tactical force and we should be proud as Somalis. I don’t think his reign would be as powerful without. Still reading the book by the way.
 
U

UgaasWeli

ladySomal206 said:
Under (The Somali tribes reach Harar)
On pg 43 “the first of the tribes to reach the imam was Habr Maqdi with their lord and chieftain Ahmed Girri bin Husain, the Somali. They encamped in a places called Qasa in the heights above the valley of Harar. They showed off their equipment and their weapons, and paraded their horses. They were knights and what nights! And they were foot soldiers; and what foot soldiers! The imam rejoiced at their arrival exceedingly. They meet the ima face to face, and he welcomed them with the warmest of welcomes. He have them gifts of apparel, and provisions, and treated them graciously, garbing their chieftain, Ahmed Girri, in particularly exquisite clothing. After them it was the tribe of Girri who came up. Their chieftain was Matan bin Utman bin kaled, the Somali they showed off their weaponry and armour paraded their horses and has their bows slung sash like over their shoulders…..read the rest in original post for more.

I didn’t see him connected to any particular ethnicity or tribes but the Somalis mentioned were his largest force and we should be proud as Somalis. I don’t think his reign would be as powerful without. Still reading the book by the way.
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I guess it was propaganda but anyway his literal nephew was a Somali and the connection was from the mother's side of Amir nuur so if his sister married a Somali that adds to it and most of the soldiers were Somalis on top of that the region of Awdal is samaroon strong hold who are Somalis so he was most likely Somali. I don't know why he would he arab because Somalis treat foreigners weirdly and would never give one so much powe. You see how Benadiris are treated today and .5ers.
 
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