Long read ahead: you have been warned.
In 1848 Ltd curttenden in his travel among the Isaaq titled:
"Memoir on the Western or Edoor Tribes Inhabiting the Somali Coast of N. E. Africa;: Cruttenden".
On pages 61-62 (attached) he unequivocally states that Aw Barkhadle was an Isaaq saint from the Garxajis clan.
In 1854 , Richard Burton wrote that Yuusuf Al Baghdadi arrived on the Somali coast in mid 1200s. Then he narrates the killing of the Yibir magician and the subsequent eternal compensation accepted by Al Baghdadi and his followers.
No mention of Aw Barkhadle name or the tomb.
Somali oral tradition and also poetry adds validation to Curttenden version of a Somali, Isaaq saints.
Qawdhan Ducaale ( 1858-1941) in his verses boasted of Aw Barkhadle having been a Garxajis saint and him being his ancestor compared to the Ogaden whom he derided as converted pagans.
The post dervish years have intensified the eternal daarood vs Isaaq wars and while Guba poems and it's equivalent in upper Hawd on the western Isaaq clans was raging, Xarbi Dheere an Ogaden poet denigrated sheekh Isxaaq lineage & progeny in a vulgar spiteful manner.
overwhelmed by the Isaaq Raids the Daarood had nothing to challenge the Isaaq with daarood resorted to a foul form of poetry. Xarbi Dheere for instance composed such verses:
Idoor waa iidoori inanta weeyaane
Arki maysid nimu Isaaq dhalay oo aabo leeyahaye.
Qawdhan replied in a higher class of poetry to Xarabi, accusing the Ogaden of paganism & boasting of his saintly ancestors Yuusuf Aw Barkhadle:
Anakay awowyaal no ahaayeen awliyada qaare
Sheekh Yuusuf baa noo muddo ah Iida loo kacae
Goortu ishaaray baa Qudbiga ururku joogaaye.
There Qawdhan and Curttenden account conforms. Curttenden account in 1848 is validated a century later by one of the greatest garxajis poet, that Aw Barkhadle was an Isaaq saint not to be conflated with the Arab Yuusuf Al Baghdadi a.k.a Al Kownayn.
Other evidence of Aw Barkhadle having been an Isaaq Garxajis individual is the joint cooperation in keeping the shrine one keeper been isxaaq HY and the ciidagale till this day.
In 1935 the Garxajis renovated the shrine after a destructive flood.
Aw Barkhadle estimate era was the 1600s. His missionary work and Arabic reading style adopted in Somali verse is also evidence of him being of local Somali stock.
What Arab can even pronounce the Somali Dh sounds?
"Alif la hoos dhabay "
"Alif la kor dhabay."
To top it off, a Ciidagale subclan of Musa Abokor claims direct paternal descent from Aw Barkhadle. Further evidencing that he was indeed Garxajis and a decedent of Da'uud Ismaacill (Ciidagale).
In 1848 Ltd curttenden in his travel among the Isaaq titled:
"Memoir on the Western or Edoor Tribes Inhabiting the Somali Coast of N. E. Africa;: Cruttenden".
On pages 61-62 (attached) he unequivocally states that Aw Barkhadle was an Isaaq saint from the Garxajis clan.
In 1854 , Richard Burton wrote that Yuusuf Al Baghdadi arrived on the Somali coast in mid 1200s. Then he narrates the killing of the Yibir magician and the subsequent eternal compensation accepted by Al Baghdadi and his followers.
No mention of Aw Barkhadle name or the tomb.
Somali oral tradition and also poetry adds validation to Curttenden version of a Somali, Isaaq saints.
Qawdhan Ducaale ( 1858-1941) in his verses boasted of Aw Barkhadle having been a Garxajis saint and him being his ancestor compared to the Ogaden whom he derided as converted pagans.
The post dervish years have intensified the eternal daarood vs Isaaq wars and while Guba poems and it's equivalent in upper Hawd on the western Isaaq clans was raging, Xarbi Dheere an Ogaden poet denigrated sheekh Isxaaq lineage & progeny in a vulgar spiteful manner.
overwhelmed by the Isaaq Raids the Daarood had nothing to challenge the Isaaq with daarood resorted to a foul form of poetry. Xarbi Dheere for instance composed such verses:
Idoor waa iidoori inanta weeyaane
Arki maysid nimu Isaaq dhalay oo aabo leeyahaye.
Qawdhan replied in a higher class of poetry to Xarabi, accusing the Ogaden of paganism & boasting of his saintly ancestors Yuusuf Aw Barkhadle:
Anakay awowyaal no ahaayeen awliyada qaare
Sheekh Yuusuf baa noo muddo ah Iida loo kacae
Goortu ishaaray baa Qudbiga ururku joogaaye.
There Qawdhan and Curttenden account conforms. Curttenden account in 1848 is validated a century later by one of the greatest garxajis poet, that Aw Barkhadle was an Isaaq saint not to be conflated with the Arab Yuusuf Al Baghdadi a.k.a Al Kownayn.
Other evidence of Aw Barkhadle having been an Isaaq Garxajis individual is the joint cooperation in keeping the shrine one keeper been isxaaq HY and the ciidagale till this day.
In 1935 the Garxajis renovated the shrine after a destructive flood.
Aw Barkhadle estimate era was the 1600s. His missionary work and Arabic reading style adopted in Somali verse is also evidence of him being of local Somali stock.
What Arab can even pronounce the Somali Dh sounds?
"Alif la hoos dhabay "
"Alif la kor dhabay."
To top it off, a Ciidagale subclan of Musa Abokor claims direct paternal descent from Aw Barkhadle. Further evidencing that he was indeed Garxajis and a decedent of Da'uud Ismaacill (Ciidagale).
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