Arab Faqih

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Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān
TitleArab Faqih
Personal life
EraAdal Sultanate
RegionHorn of Africa
Main interestWarfare
Notable workFutūh al-Habasha
Religious life
ReligionIslam
JurisprudenceSunni

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

  1. 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.
  2. Gori, Alessandro. Arab Faqīh. BRILL.
  3. 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 Page 30: The contemporary Yemeni (from Jizan) chronicler of Ahmad Gragn, Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin 'Abd al-Qadir, better known as 'Arab Faqih
  4. Wion, Anaïs (2023). Amélie Chekroun, La conquête de l'Ethiopie. Un jihad au xvie siècle (PDF). Paris, CNRS Èditions. p. 108.
  5. 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.
  6. YaʼItyop̣yā qwānqwāwočenā sena ṣeḥuf maṣḥét. Addis Ababa University. 1997. p. 27.
  7. Getahun, Solomon (27 February 2014). Culture and Customs of Ethiopia. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 979-8-216-06942-3.
  8. 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.
  9. 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)
  10. Faqih, Arab; Pankhurst, Richard. Conquest of Abyssinia. p. 5.
  11. Cerulli, Enrico. ʿArabfaḳih. Brill.
  12. 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.
  13. Banti, Giorgio. The literature of Harar until the end of the 19th century (PDF). Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura. p. 151.
  14. 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.