AHMAD GUREY FROM AWDAL

[Farxaaan]

Imam ahmad ibrahim (gurey) from Awdal

 

Historical Fact

 

• A Somali imam.

• Born in 1506 at Hubat located between Harar and Zaila. (the ancestral land of gadabursi)

• Lead the adal empire (modern day awdal)

 

Imam Ahmad's having been a Somali is the fact that, after disagreeing with Sultan Umar Din of harar over the alms tax, he retired to live amongst his Somali tribe in awdal.

 

The above event is proven on numerous account.

If he wasn’t a Somali he wouldn’t be born among Somalis, returned to live among Somalis and recruit among somalis

 

So imam ahmed lived among the Somali stock that lived and still live in awdal

(whether you call it the modern day gadabursi, issa, gurgureh or habar awal).

 

 

In order for you to better situate the indications that will be mentioned, you are invited to refer to the Map of Africa in 1808 as well as other maps. Saying that, to the North, Adal Empire was situated up to the region of Danaakil (actually, North of the Republic of Djibouti, populated by Afar people). While to the South, the empire had its border up to the region of Ras-Xaafuun (actually called Hays and Maydh, located in today's Region of Sanaag).

 

Therefore the frontier of the first adal empire was the land occupied up today by the habar awal, the gadabursi clan, the issa and the afar.

 

 

The name Gadaburs1 which is a nick name was only given to the descendents of imam ahmed gurey core army at the last critical moment before they made a final stand to the Amhara at the mandaluug ancestral homeland of Amuud which was destroyed over 50,000 homes where excuvated recently and the place was leveled with the ground, 10, 000 thousands perished.

The name Gaada Biirsay means The one who collected the army or "chests" the name refered to the desparate effort of imam Samar00n Said to collect and muster the power of his kinsman against the infidels. Gaado means shafka ama xabadka (gaada ha i saarin oo kale. Gaadsan the westren D1r's name means the one with the army or good chest literary. The Gadaburs1 latter suffered a davastating defeat and actually the present day Amuud which has an old cemetery called Lafaruug was destroyed by the Amhara King. Also note it was this period that the King Shihad a Diin buried in Zailac Island was killed. The Gudabuursi D1r and Modoobe D1r never recovered from these devastating blows.

 

As above the name gadabursi did not existed at prior the 17th centenary and will not be mentioned on any books written before 1700.

 

The fataha al habash books have never mentioned the composite of the contingent lead by ahmed gurey personally.

But only the clan he recruited from his external territory.

 

Proof:

 

 

Could you look at IMAM ahmed gurey army composite.

 

It comprised of 3 contingents:

 

The Left flank:

The right flank:

And the central: lead by Ahmed gurey himself.

 

The composite of the RIGTH flank of the Army:

Page 76 of the book (Fataha al habasha)says so:

The imam ahmed, may the most high have mercy on him, summoned the sultan Mohamed son of the sultan ali son of his maternal aunt.

And the sheikh anas and put under their command al the tibes of the Harla, as for instance the tribe of Zaman bara, the tribe of Barzara 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 those belonged of the Harla.

The imam told them to hold the muslim RIGTH

 

 

The composite of the LEFT flank of the army:

Page 76 of the book (Fataha al habasha).

Then he assembled the Somali tribes: the tribe of girri, the tribe of marraihan, the tribe of yibberi (modern day yibir tribe) with the chieftain ahmad girri, the tribe of the marra1han, people of mait, the tribe of jaraan the tribe mazzar the tribe of barsud all of these were Somalis and there were ordered by the imam to hold to the LEFT (each tribe had its own emir)

 

 

The central army:

Lead by the Ahmed gurey is not mentioned by their tribes and for obvious reason as there were the core army and not seasonable fighters.

Obviously they were not made up of ghost but Somali fighters.

As the name of gadabursi did not exist at that time the main central army will only be left to be made up of indigenous zeilacy people from awdal.

Hence modern day gadabursi, issa and obviously habar awal.

 

 

The physical attribute of most gadabursi clan and as mentioned by all the travellers who passed the area closely match what we know about Ahmed gurey appearance.

 

In the 18th centenary when the English traveller Richard burton reported just 100 years after the clan is known by their nickname gadabursi he describe them as bellow

(First Footsteps In East Africa by Richard F. Burton)

 

 

***********************************************************

page 136

 

Here, white flocks odotting the hills, and the scavengers of the air (haad) warned us that we were in the vicinity of villages.Our wigwam was soon full of fair-faced gadabursi, mostly loajira or cow-herd boys, who,according to the custom of their class, wore their tobes bound scarf-like round their necks.They begged us to visit their village, and offered a heifer for each lion shot on mount libahlay: unahapply we could not afford time.Amongst them was the first really pretty and handsome face seen by me in the somali country The head was well formed, and gracefully placed upon a long thin neck and narrowshoulders; the hair, brow and nose were unexceptionable, there was an arch look in the eyes of jet and pearl, and a suspicion of africa protuberance about the lips, which gave the countenance and exceeding naivete.

 

 

*****************************************************************

page 168 of first footsteps in east africa

 

In appearance the gadabursi (samarone) are decidedly superior to their limitrophes of somale

(the issa, habar awal, gugureh, girri).

I have seen handsome faces amongst the men as well as the women.

Some approach closely to the Caucasian type: one old man, with olive-coloured skin, bald brow,and white hair curling round his temples, and occiput, exactly resembled an anglo-indian veteranGenerally, however, the prognathous mouth betrays an african origin, and chewing tobacco mixed with ashes (buree) stains the teeth, blackens the gums, and mottles the lips.

The complexion is the cafe au lait (fair).Contrasting strongly with the sooty skins of the coast;and the hair, plentifully anointed with rancid butter, hands from the head in lankcorkscrew the colour of a Russian pointer's coat. the figure is rather squat,

but broad well set and built. The gadabursi are as turbulent and unmanageable, though not so bloodthirsty, as the issa.

 

So in conclusion the argument that ahmed gurey is truly from the samarone (gadabursi) hold water for those who logically analyse the history.

 

1) The core terrain of ahmed gurey of awdal is the deygaan of gadabursi, issa and habar awal

2) Zeila is solely occupied and has been occupied by gadabursi and issa

3) The folklore in zeila as always foretold by generation and associate ahmed gurey to gadabursi

4) Even the looks of the clan is quit superior and would be rightfully associated to the Imam

[Fabregas]

Some Somalis tried to reconstruct the image of Ahmed Gurey as Somali Nationalist( in the modern sense), or a clan hero for their respective clan; neither are true!The nonsense above is a good example of that. Also, Richard Burton's writings on Somalia are misleading, inaccurate and fanciful.

 

ps. you're not allowed to mention clan names On this forum!

[Jacaylbaro]

I always thought he is an Arab ,,,,,,,,, some says he was Somali but nobody can tell which qabiil.

[Fabregas]

Much of the evidence indicates he might have been a Somali...though he might have been a descendant of Carab( oo Soomaalida ku dhex barbaray).

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Some Somalis tried to reconstruct the image of Ahmed Gurey as Somali Nationalist( in the modern sense), or a clan hero for their respective clan; neither are true!

And this is based on what? Axmed Gurey is Soomaali, as Soomaali as you and me are now. "Axmed Gragn" or him being attributed to Oromo is rubbish, reconscructed and re-written as history by those who do not like Soomaalis shine, cadowga Soomaaliyeed.

 

[Fabregas]

I didn't say he wasn't a Somali. I said the portrayal of him as a SOmali nationailist or a clan hero( as the last SOmali regime tried to do) was inaccurate. The concept of creating states based on ethnicity didn't exist( to a degree) at that time. Ahmed Gurey was trying to create a super Islamic state which compromised multi-ethnic Muslims and possibly Harar as it's capital. His forces contained Somalis, Afars, Yemenis and Turks.

[Gabbal]

It is a lack of Somali researching skills that led Oromos and the likes to claim glorious Somali history.

 

This is a biography of the Imam's newphew, the Emir Nur who married the Imam's widow, succeeded and avenged his death at the hands of the Ethiopian king with the help of the Portuguese, and built much of the city today known as Harrar.

 

 

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

His forces overwhelmingly were Soomaalis and he was Soomaali. About him being "nationalist," depends what one calls a nationalist.

 

Are Ceyroow/Rooboow/Turki/Co nationalists since they are fighting for Soomaali lands now, not Muslim Oromo lands?

 

I do agree with you, though, about not historically being known about his clan, and that itself adds more into his Soomaalinimo. No qabiil sheegan karo, and fast majority of those qabiils now la arko did not exist then. His qabiil was Soomaali then, since magaca Soomaaliyeedba itself waagaas cusbaa.

[Jacaylbaro]

Horn,, i expected that from you niyow ,,

[Fabregas]

Somali nationalism and Islamic identity are hard to separate and can often easily converge. This is probably the same with most Arabs. This is logical as Somalis are 100% Muslim (some say 99.8 these days). The notion of defending Arabnimo and Islanimo are invoked at the same times.

 

 

Turki, Aweys and co would indeed and have described themselves as Somali Nationalists. These men fought defending Somali land in 1964 and 77. But their are considerable differences between this viewpoint and nationalism based on the narrow concept of defending lands, frontiers and borders which were constructed by Westerners. Refer to the misunderstanding between the Asmara group and the some members of Alshabaab. Some members of the Asmara disagree with the notion of inviting foreigner Muslims to Somalia to fight Jihad.

 

 

Turki and co would argue that there is no such thing as foreigners and all Muslims are one. That is to say a Pakistani, Arab or Chechnyan all have the right to fight and live inside Somalia. The latter is more close to the position of Imam Ahmad Gurey.

 

 

If Turki and co ever triumph in liberating Somalia, then they would pursue an agressive policy of trying to liberate the Somali ****** region and also all the Muslims within Ethiopia. Those that met Asmara respect the borders of the international community and didn't even mention the occupied ****** region (politically understandable move).

 

 

Simarly, the ONLF limits its political goals to liberating that particular region and constantly denies attempting to form a state with the Somalia Republic or any other Muslims within the Horn. Turki and co see Ocadenia( and beyond) and the SOmali republic as an extension of Islamic lands. Their aim is to construct a Pan Islamic force in Somalia and the Horn...hence why they carry the Black Islamic Flag as opposed to the Somali National flag and pose themselves with Non Somali Muslims on Aljazeera T.V.

 

 

Though Turki and Aweys are older, politically wiser and understand the dual historical linkages of Somalinimo and Islamnimo, unlike the new kids on the block, whom see everything associated with SOmalinimo as Paganism!

 

Anyhow, that wasn't what I was referring to. I was talking about the moves to link to him a particular clan/s and modern day Somali nationalism during the late Somali government. Somewhat similar to how some Kurdish seperatists associated themselves with Kurdish Salahudeen AYubi.

 

Jacalybro, some people claim he wasn't a Somali, wuxu aha SOmalilander, the man was born in Awdal de

[Gabbal]

Originally posted by J.a.c.a.y.l.b.a.r.o:

Horn,, i expected that from you niyow ,,

Jb, why is it different in Farxaan's case considering his section on the "Left Flank" twice mentioned the same group?

[Jacaylbaro]

Bahasha yaan la fogeynin niyow ,,,,,,,,,

[Gabbal]

Waxaad aragtay baad haysataa

[Jacaylbaro]

Halka ay imika taagan tahay yaan la dhaafin bal ,,,, hadii kele way sii kharibmaysaa oo anagaa Islaamka keenay iyo anagaa dadka musliminay baa lagu murmi doonaaye ,,,

[Faynuus]

looooooool@Jacaylbaro.

 

Axmed Gureey was Soomali just like everyone of us!(am not so sure of that). lol

 

Buy he was soomali and he must have belonged to a certain clan, we all know all somalis are not from the same dad and mom. So why would some of you object to him belonging to a certain clan? i wonder.

 

Sayid mohamed was a somali hero and he belonged to a certain clan we all know, why would axmed gureey be different? just becouse his history is more ancient? walee soomali wax isuma quuraan.

 

Whichever clan he was from, somalis know and those that try to distort history are just fools. Go ask every old wise somali elder, they know regardless of their clan. Iam proud of him for he was a good muslim and a soomaali.