Al-Zaylai (''Abd al-Raḥman bin Aḥmad al-Zaylai'' ) (1820–1882) was a Somali scholar who played a crucial role in the spread of the

Qadiriyyah The Qadiriyya (), also transliterated Qādirīyah, ''Qadri'', ''Qadriya'', ''Kadri'', ''Elkadri'', ''Elkadry'', ''Aladray'', ''Alkadrie'', ''Adray'', ''Kadray'', ''Kadiri'', ''Qadiri'', ''Quadri'' or ''Qadri'' are members of the Sunni Qadiri ta ...

Sufi order in Somalia and

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. Born in the rural village of Kedilai northwest of Mogadishu, he studied elementary ilm under the supervision of the local Ulema, He later moved to Mogadishu, studying under Sheikh Isma'il b. Umar al-Maqdishi. Al-Zayla'i traveled to various Islamic centers in 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), ...

. Upon returning to his home village, he established a community of pupils nea
Qolonqol
setting out to spread the Qadiriyyah order throughout the upper

Shebelle The Shebelle River ( so, Webi Shabeelle, ar, نهر شبيلي, am, እደላ) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. ...

region. This enhanced his reputation and also helped the order gain considerable success amongst the region's pastoralists, the religious elite, and the villagers of the interior.

References

* 1820 births 1882 deaths Somalian religious leaders 19th-century Somalian people Somalian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam Ethnic Somali people {{Somalia-bio-stub

See also

References