Sayiidki Abiyyo

[GALAN]

Sayid Abiyyo

Abdirahman Quxullo or ( possibly Hassan,or Roba Garbi ) 1912-1977 was the Sayiid of the Eastern Oromo, and Hawiya clans from 1936-1977 born in Italian somalia to Quxullo Isse an Hawiya man and Batuulo Liben an Borana Women from Nagele Borana located in the country of the Guji. Sayiid Abiyyos roots are debated however as some sources claim he was an Gabbra others Borana, Arussi, and Garre but my father who visited his family in Mogadishu in the early 80s claims they are Abgaal.

1912-1936
Abdi Quxullo's father was probably a somali who had lived within the Guji, in Nagelle Borona when he married Batuulo Liben he had relocated him self around Dollo at the ET SOMALI border were the Borana and Hawiya reside which is where the Sayiid was born. Abdi did not stay in Somalia for long and moved to Kenya where he learnt English already being fluent in Somali Oromo and Italian. after finishing his education in 1930 he had left for Jimma eager to learn the Deen he learnt the Akhwani sect of islam, and was educated by the top Wadaads, in this time period Abdi or Muhammed was going to negelle and returning back to Jimma for breaks, in Nagelle he befriended Muhammed Aweyes one of the most notable men in Nagele where the somalis and arussi were slowly slowly migrating and becoming larger in number. In Nagelle he studied the uwasiyssa sect and lived in the Haddras under the notable sheikhs at the time still being a youth at the time. after his stay at Nagelle he had returned to Jimma at his fathers request and introduced his peers to the new sect of islam he was studying. The Sayiid then moved to Sudan where according to the oromo elders he had learnt the Arts of Sihr and mastered black magic which was taught in Sudan. Sayiid then denounced Akhwaniyya, and adopted the Suffiya Mahdi sect of islam at Sudan and had returned to Jimma in 1935. 1935 saw the Italians occupying Jimma, this came in favour to the Sayiid since the Italians really wanted Jimma to become an centre of islamic learning and Sayiidki Abiyyo had preached in the Open the new sufiyya sect he had learnt, him and his peers were unsuccessful so they relocated to Welaga and thought it was their duty to teach what they had learnt and bring people to the sufiyya. There mission in wellaga was successful and after gaining amass of followers he had returned back to Nagele where he had established his first Haddra and studied there peacefully learning more and teaching more to his followers.

 

[daljirkadahsoon]

This was interesting read. Do you have more info on this shaykh and his activities?

When you say he was the sayid or leader of the Eastern Oromo and Hawiye Somali- was he crowned as such ?

 

[GALAN]

(before Negale he travelled to Kambata in modern day sidama but he was expelled by the peoples)

1936-1946

In Nagelle the Sayiid had became popular amongst the people and was a respected man many people following him and becoming sufis joining him in his travels it was around this time that the Sayiid had embarked on his mission to spread the Sufiyya sect of islam all around Ethiopia and was migrating from town to town amongst the Borona and had made a name for him self quick to gather followers amongst the Somali, and Oromo people (most oromos in the south did not accept him) the sayiid could have possibly been Sayiid Abdulkadir
who is described to be a popular sheikh Amongst the Borana. These two both the exact same age from the same place we can almost conclude that we are 100 percent certain they are the same person. The chronicle notes that the Sayiid had the ability to speak the Jinns, and he was in contact with them, some even claiming he had converted many for this reason he had became popular. rMy timing may be off on the Sayiid establishing his first Haddra since the chronicle notes he established his Haddra in the 1940's, this Haddra was soon abandoned at the arrival of sheikh Mahmoud (The main Imaam or sheikh in the region) most of the Sayiids followers leaving him the former. Sheikh Mahmoud saw that the power of Sayiid Abiyyio was quickly rising and saw through him that he would turn out to be a influential man he offered the saint to live with him and was offered to marry a girl the daughter of a wealthy land owner The sayiid young and ambitious eager to travel the world had declined this offer and left with his few Hawiye, Oromo followers to the direction of the east.


On the way to the east the Sayiid continued preaching and calling people to the way of god amongst the Gurra, Guji, Borana, and Arussi migrating from town to town village to village he found his mission successful and many people had joined him to be more specific the Arussi oromos. He then married a women at Elkare (debated if she is Gurre or Arussi) and had continued his travels to the east. The sayiid and his arussi Hawiye followers had settled in Bali establishing themselves in the heart of Bale in around 1947. The Sayiid continued his teachings and was gaining mass followers by the day, The Sayiid also claimed that he was a descendant of sheikh Hussein this had enabled him to gain the respect of the Arussi oromo, and his followers increased by the day. The Arussi were already muslim at the time and some have been since the 13th century but these people followed a sunni sect of islam though a large percent followed the sufiya sect which was taught by sheikh Hussein this allowed him to gain mass following by the day and boy 1948 he had became one of the most popular men amongst the Arussi.

1948-1951
By 1948 the Sayiid had become a powerful man with his followers in the large thousands, by this time the Sayiid was looking to extend his influence and asked in the hand of marriage of a very powerful rich Arussi man Haaji Muhammed Juma when the people had asked on behalf of Abdi, Muhammed Jumaa responded

''O Sayyid abbiyio the caller to prayer the caller to god

our Men and Women have worshipped the poison

before your coming we forgot our nature

Yaa my Abbiyo come take her may your thanks never leave''.

Abdulkadir was a smart man and knew what he was doing, he knew that in order to gain more followers he would have to do something for them, Abdi never left without coffee and had a significant amount, he also had food this attracted the people of the Arussi particularly the ones less fortunate who were more then the rich, this strategy enabled Abdi to gain amass of followers, and soon the rich and powerful would join him earning himself the title Sayiid Abiyyo Roobe. Around this time period he had gained enough power to establish an Haddra, his Haddra was full of people and never empty, it is described as a place of beating drums all night drinking coffee in the morning very similar to sheikh Husseins. Many Arussi thought this man was sheikh Hussein coming back to life, it is said here that the Sayiid had preformed many miracles curing the blind, and making the sick well it is also said he preformed an intense Ruqiya ritual where he had tools to take Jinns out of people, and resolving all of their problems. One of the Sayiids most popular miracles was when a man had visited the Haddra of the Sayid, when the Sayid asked what he had brang he presented a dead donkey for the Sayid to eat humiliating the sayiid infront of the people, The Sayiid cursed the man and just a few hours later the man died within the Haddra. These miracles led to the Arussi thinking this man was a messenger of God many falling at tree knees begging for his blessing. a large amount of the Arussi had accepted the Sayiid as there Imam his mission being successful in the Arussi he had left for Harar.

 

[GALAN]

1951-1953

by 1951 the news of a messenger of God had reached the territory of the Enniya and the people become interested and what they were hearing, in order to go to Harar from the Arussi you have to go through the territory of the Enniya, when he arrived he established a base at Daru Labo, Mechara, Haddra's were not knew to the people of Mechara (Alla and Anniya) since the Uwaysisa of Nagelle such as sheikh Mahmoud, and Muhammed feitan had established their Haddra in Mechara, it is not clear if the Sayiid established his own or moved into his old freinds but he did have a base in mechara. It is said he attracted people like magnets and more and more people came to his Hadra to learn his teachings, and see what was going on. Some people questioned the Sayiid on why he had came to Mechara specifically which was just a small town in the Anniya-Arussi border, the Sayid responded that the blessing of God was present, providing the people with food and coffee the people praised him and is followers increased by the day.

''The sayiid has more light then us

the solver of fitna the solver of problems

the announcer at the Haddra the establisher''

In the Anniya the Sayiid had became so powerful some Oromos had become his Askaris, he had brought with him his companions from Nagele, and Welaga some of them actually moving to Bale staying there for ever with there families still present.

''Oh Sayiid upon your arrival we became satisfied
Oh sayyid the one who makes dry and thirsty wet and full''.

The Sayiid had now started his unislamic law he had taxed the people even the miskeens, and had gathered the peoples cattle and wealth, he promised the people who gave him there wealth Jannah and so the people did so. According to Temam Hajidem these people faced heavy displacement due to the enrouching christian Amharas who were killing oromos, and oromos suffered (would be a key reason in the future Bale revolt 1960's). He notes that The sayiid had helped the poor and had stopped injustice in the area whereas the Amhara dominance was slowly fading away.

News of a man getting more powerful by the day reached the imperial court, Haile Selassie didnt think much of this but he knew this man would be a threat to his power in the future, So he had constructed several churches in the Hararghe region, the Sayiid thought the emperor was looking to kill him so he escaped fleeing to the Rammis where he stayed 2 months.

1953-1960
After leaving Rammis he migrated to Gara Muleta bringing his followers with him had settled within the Oromo who had already heard of the popular saint, people of all over Hararghe had came to visit the saint, the people erected several Haddras for him all across Hararghe

North of Harar: Watar, Near Harar:Bokko/Kombolcha, South of Harar: Babile, west of Harar: Badessa/ Cercer.

The Sayiid had become one of the most wealthiest men in Hararge his influence starting in Arussi stretching to Harar he had made a name for himself and was the Sayiid of the tribes. The Sayiid traveled especially in the south around the Anniya, Ala ,Ogaden he never stayed In one spot for more then a month the people who loved the sayiid exclaimed

''Oh Sayiid our loved one

Perfect like Gold

we just wanted to learn more about you

we have not seen you stay at one place you travel to much for one so interesting''.

Sayiid had also visited Takkara where the people refused to let him go and cried at his leave eventually he left and entered Harar were the people exclaimed

''when he enters the shaytan's fly to the sky
When we thought we were in the right he corrected us
Khowsal Atheem our Abiyoo has come''.

In Harar he aligned himself with the Sheekhal clan and claimed an common Qallu descent with Mohammed seitan, and Mahmoud his old freinds in Nagelle, the reason why Abdi moved was that Harar at the time was a Sufi dominated city and the people were strictly Sufi muslims at the time, after a month of staying in Harar the people of Harar saw his quick rise to power, and acted quickly burning down his Haddra in Harar, the sayyid had now moved to Watar were is Haddra was awaiting him. when he came It is said that the people asked him to fly them to the sky the sayiid who had mastered the arts of sihr had done the magic on the eye which thought it was seeing what it wasn't on the people, he made the people think they were flying, and many had turned to him for his blessing, and become his Murids.

 

[GALAN]

The most infamous miracle Abiyyo had preformed was when the people of Watar had brought their trucks filled with Gas and were driving it towards the capital the Sayiid stopped the trucks and stood on top of it spitting sihr and black magic inside the Gas hiding it from he people with the eye sihr, he had turned the Gas into Water thousands of people watching, the people praised him and brought him whatever they could some claiming he was a Nabi
after this many oromos had came to watar and stayed with him. In 1956 The Sayid left watar for the Jaarso/ Nole area (Gursum, Funyan Bira, Kombolcha). these people were facing a big problem the men had refused to marry of their daughters the young women getting married old and the young men not being able to marry they had called out for the Sayiid who had quickly arrived complaining to him in the infamous poem (my maternal grand aunt had sang)

''Oh Sayiid we are getting old and our breast beginning to sag
my people had refused to marry me off
the young men have given all they could
my father had not allowed me to have my nikah with the messenger
Sayyid Abbiyo my problems have brought you here it is your duty to solve them''.

The Sayiid resolved the problem taking the young women from their fathers marrying them of taxing the men giving them his blessing which they thought was some type of gift of god peace came under his law and the people enjoyed it, after asserting his dominance in the region in 1957 had returned to Daalo Garamuleta, this is where he built his largest Haddra, and brought many Hawiya families with him leaving them there. In Daalo the Sayiids Askaris are said to have attacked the oromo Garads destroying there cattle taking authority by force and ruling over the Daalo area even imprisoning one of my maternal family members. The sayiid had established at least 100 Haddras in Hararghe 10 of those being large and well known, when Haile Selassie heard this he stated ''who is there like Abiyyo'' angry at his success he knew he had to act fast. in 1958 the Sayiid returned to Negele. In Negele the saint roamed the streets with his weapons which included a fire arm this did not sit well with the Amhara officials, a certain General Yirgaatu described Abiyyo as a man who did not want peace and a man with a army of his own Yirgaatu imprisoned Abiyyo mistaking Abiyyo as a shifta in 1959 and soon after Yirgaatu himself is said to have died of leprosy. When he was released he was given permission to carry his weapons and in 1961 migrated back to Bidra.

 

[GALAN]

1961-1965 Gara Muleta
In 1961 amongst the Arussi he had entered Ilma Gossuma into the Rayitu through his Hawiya roots. to ellaborate the Hawiya Doyo had assimilated many Rayitu and are being assimilated up to this day this is well known amongst them both, Abiyyu had used his Hawiya roots in order to Allie him self with the Rayitu who were becoming Hawiya. He had claimed that him and Waqo Guru were Ilma Adeera (Ina Adeer) and had joined him in his Jihad sending many of his murals and askaris to Waqos cause. up to this day the Arussi claim he was part of the Rayitu but god knows best. In 1962 he had returned to Hararge in the territory of the Aniyya. In Anniya he had gathered the people and ordered them to Moo like cows and lay rolling over the flow all except one man had did this who refused to do this and was one of the bravest people at the time, the man had fled Abbiyo to the Hils were some people joined him. The Sayiid had gathered the people on a Jummah at the mosque and ordered them to give him all their wealth for the blessing of god which the continued to do until the rich became poor. he then left for Badeno. In Badeno he stole the peoples cattle, and gathered the people at the mosque he ordered them to give all there wealth for a bigger masjid, when him and his followers collected the money instead of building a mosque to make the Amhara officials happy constructed a church destroying the mosque keeping some wealth for themselves. in 1964 he had went to Girawa which was ruled by Balambaras Mume Orfo Jilo, Mume orfo disliked this man and already knew he would be a problem, The sayiid hadgatjered the people once again ad ordered them to meow like cats and crawl on the floor here he thought it would be easy but he people took this personal and killed many of his followers, the sayiid moved to Harar and spent his last years as a free man there before being captured by Haile selassies soldiers on his way to Jijiga.

 

[GALAN]

1965-1977
The Sayid was arrested and sent to an Harar prison but the people who were angered by his imprisonment were probably going to rebel, sohe sent him to imprisonment in Gojjam. whilst he was in Jail his followers had been raising large amounts of money for

 

[GALAN]

him..

The Sayiid was released at the fall of sellasies empire by the Derg who had released all of Selassie's prisoners, when he was released he had stayed in Gojjam for a year, In Gojjam he had a house, and with him his followers. The Sayiid had no real power in Gojjam since the Derg had controlled most of ethiopia at the time, In 1974 the Derg government invited the Sayiid to live in Addisababa giving him a house and some other items. Why would the Derg help this man? 1974 saw the rise of the Oromo liberation front which had rebelled against the government, and had links to the Bale revolt of which sayiid Abbiyos Muriids participated in. The Sayiid probably had plans to join the OLF, and overthrow the Kafir government. when the Sayiid had moved into his new house in the capital near the old airport the news of his release went viral amongst the people thousands of people from the Arussi and carcar had visited him, the government had now realised this man was actually a powerful man and could possibly have been a threat to their power, the people of Addis had protested against him, and so he had became an enemy of the Derg. The Sayiid had constructed 19 houses not clear if they were Haddras or not he had become one of the most wealthiest men in the region with his followers continuing to give him money. The death of the Sayid came as unexpected as it could get, he was travelling to Welaga with his Galemso oromo followers, The Sayiid was in a car around his haddra at the Welaga-Shewa border, when he had reached Welaga a small Derg unit heavily armed with firearms under the leadership of Alaqa Gezzenahay Warqee had attacked the Sayiid and his followers the Sayiids followers barely any armed and unprepared were in shock but showed brave resistance against the Derg the Sayiid had retreated to his haddra, and the Derg force encircled the Saints Haddra capturing most of his force, the people had made peace for a few hours, and when the Derg asked the captured soldiers were the Sayiid was A Muhammed Ali Mudaati had exclaimed ''With the Ulama of heaven'' the Derg slaughtered him and he is a infamous Martys. Alaqa had advanced in on the Sayiids Haddra killing many, he asked the people why they wished to die with the sayiid and instead live their lives, they responded ''who else do we have like Abiyyo'' praising the sayiid, after this the Derg force had entered the Haddra capturing the Sayiid. He asked the Sayiid what he thought was best for his own life the Sayiid responded,

''Oh Derg you are like a people with a wall infront of you, whatever god wills on the field I do not question and I am happy with, I also know that you can kill me today, and I know that my people have been finished today so why have you not killed me already? my life is not worth the lives lost today so I ask you Derg kill me now''.

The general had then shot Sayiid Abiyyo multiple times were he collapsed on the floor and died near shewa where he is buried today.