The Sheekhaal (var. Sheikhaal ( ar, شيخال), also known as Fiqi Omar, is a
Somali clan
The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared m ...
. They inhabit
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
,
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...
and with considerable numbers also found in the
Northern Frontier District
The North Eastern Province ( so, Gobolka Woqooyi Bari, 𐒌𐒙𐒁𐒙𐒐𐒏𐒖 𐒓𐒙𐒎𐒝𐒕𐒘 𐒁𐒖𐒇𐒘) is one of the former provinces in Kenya. It has a land area of 127,358.5 km2, with its capital at Garissa. Previ ...
(NFD) in
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
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, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.
Overview
Sheekhal traces its ancestry to Sheikh Abadir Umar Ar-Rida, also known as ''Fiqi Umar'', who in turn traced his lineage to the first
caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
,
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
(Sayid Abubakar Al-Sadiq). According to the explorer
Richard F. Burton
Sir Richard Francis Burton (; 19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, writer, orientalist scholar,and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary kn ...
, In his book ''First Footsteps in East Africa''. The Sheekhaash or Sheekhaal is described as the only Somalis of the maintains not derived from Dir and Darood. They claim descent from "Caliph Abu Bakr" and asserted that their ancestor Khutab bin Fakih Umar crossed over from Al-Hijaz. Fiqi Umar crossed over from the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
to the
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...
with his six sons: Umar the Greater, Umar the Lesser, the two Abdillahs, Ahmad and Siddik. Sheikh Ar-Rida is also regarded as the saint of
Harar
Harar ( amh, ሐረር; Harari: ሀረር; om, Adare Biyyo; so, Herer; ar, هرر) known historically by the indigenous as Gey (Harari: ጌይ ''Gēy'', ) is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saint ...
.Siegbert Uhlig, ''Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: He-N'', Volume 3, (Otto Harrassowitz Verlag: 2007), pp.111 & 319. The lineage goes back to
Banu Taym
)
, type = Qurayshi / Adnanite Arabs
, image = Banu Taym Allah Flag.svg
, image_size = 150 px
, alt =
, caption = Banner of Banu Taym
, nisba = At-Taymī ()
, location = Western Arabian Peninsula, especially in ...
, through the first Caliph
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
.
Some clans of Sheekhaal would argue that while they are politically aligned with the larger
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nor ...
clan, this does not mean that they are Hawiye This view is shared by the Aw-Qutub, one of the major Sheekhal subclans; they too totally reject the notion that the Sheekhal are part of hawiye : Lobogay ( Loboge), Aw Qudub and Gendershe and Ali. Lewis (1982) mentions that the largest clan of the Sheikhal is the Reer Fiqi Omar, whose most important lineage, the Reer Aw Qutub, inhabit Somali region of Ethiopia. The Sheekhal clans were reportedly considered as part of the Hawiye politically until after the civil war.
General Mohamed Ibrahim Liiqliqato, who was a Sheikhal, described in his book how the Sheikhal became associated with the Hawiye and added as ‘Martileh Hiraab’ (literally meaning ''guests of Hiraab''). Shekhal are also mentioned to be one of the religious groups of Somalia along with the Ashraf.http://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/old-site-downloads/download-912-Click-here-to-download-full-report.pdf
Qallu Qallu is one of the thirteen sub-clans of the Sheikhal clan.
* Teedan
* Abiib
* Cali Cafiif
* Gudle
* Cabdisamad (found in Banadir Shangani)
* Sheikh Hayti
* Seyle
Prominent figures
*
Abdulrahman Kinana
Abdulrahman Omari Kinana is a Tanzanian politician who served as the first Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2006. He has been secretary-general of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, the ruling party, since 2012.
Background:
Ki ...
, first Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, 2001–2006; former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence of Tanzania.
*
Mohamed Ibrahim Liqliiqato
Mohamed Ibrahim Liqliqato (1921, Kismayo, Italian Somaliland – 1998) was a Somali military and political leader, worked as an ambassador, minister, speaker of the Parliament and was prominent figure of Siyad Barre's rule in Somalia.
In 1964 L ...
, Prominent Somali politician, diplomat, and Major General from
Kismayo
Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay Maay, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.
The cit ...
lower Jubba region. He was a Somali ambassador to the Soviet Union, and ambassador to West-Germany in 1970s. He also held the ministry of Agriculture and Interior ministry. He is the longest-serving speaker of the parliament, holding the position from 1982 to 1991. The Liiqliiqato bridge in Beledwen named after him.
*
Mohammed Hussein Ali
Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali ( so, Maxamed Xuseen Cali; born 1956 in Eldoret) is a Kenyan military commander. He was formerly commissioner of the Kenya Police. He is currently chief executive of the Postal Corporation of Kenya.
Early l ...
, former commissioner of the Kenya Police
*
Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir
Fahad Yasin Haji Dahir, (aka ''Abu - Camaar''), commonly known only as Fahad Yasin, is a Somali civil servant and politician, as well as a former journalist. He was also the campaign manager for Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmaajo" in the 2017 ...
, The former director-general of NISA and chief of staff for Villa Somalia.
*
Dahir Adan Elmi
Major General Dahir Adan Elmi ( so, Daahir Aadan Cilmi, ar, ضاهر عدن علمي), also known as Dahir Aden Indha Qarshe, is a Somali military general. He is the former chief of the Somali Army.
General Dahir Adan Elmi hails from Sheekhaal ...
, chief of Somali Armed Forces, major general and the commander of Qabdir-Daharre Battalion in Somalia-Ethiopian War in 1977 who won bravery golden award that war. He is regarded as the most decorated general in Somali army.