The Darod (
Somali: Daarood,
Arabic: دارود) is a
Somali clan. The forefather of this clan was Sheikh
Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as Darod.[1][2] The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripheries, the Somali hinterlands adjacent to
Oromia (Ogaden), and both sides of the
Kenya–
Somalia border.[3] The Darod clan is the largest Somali clan family in the
Horn of Africa.[4][1][2][5]
According to early Islamic books and Somali tradition,
AqeelAbu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib Al-Qurashi descendant
Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti (Darod), a son of the
Sufi Sheikh Isma'il al-Jabarti of the
Qadiriyyah order, fled his homeland in the
Arabian Peninsula after an argument with his uncle.[6][7] During the 10th or 11th century CE,[8] Abdirahman is believed to have then settled in modern-day Sanaag just across the
Red Sea and married
Dobira, the daughter of the
Dir clan chief. This union is said to have given rise to the Darod clan family.[9] Thus, it established
matrilateral ties with the
Samaale main stem.[10]
According to the British anthropologist and
Somali Studies veteran
Ioan Lewis, the traditions of descent from noble Arab families related to the
Prophet are most probably figurative expressions of the importance of
Islam in Somali society.[11][12] However, "there is a strong historically valid component in these legends which, in the case of the Darod, is confirmed in the current practice of a Dir representative officiating at the ceremony of installation of the chief of the Darod family."
There are also numerous existing
hagiologies in Arabic which describe Sheikh Darod's travels, works and overall life in northern Somalia, as well as his movements in Arabia before his arrival.[13] Besides historical sources such as
Al-Masudi's Aqeeliyoon,[7] a modern manaaqib (a collection of glorious deeds) printed in
Cairo in 1945 by Sheikh Ahmad bin Hussen bin Mahammad titled Manaaqib as-Sheikh Ismaa'iil bin Ibraahiim al-Jabarti also discusses Sheikh Darod and his proposed father Isma'il al-Jabarti, the latter of whom is reportedly buried in Bab Siham in the
Zabid District of western
Yemen.[14]
Sheikh Darod's own tomb is in
Haylaan, situated in the
Sanaag region of Somaliland, and is the scene of frequent
pilgrimages.[15] Sheikh Isaaq is buried nearby in
Maydh,[16] as is Sheikh Harti, a descendant of Sheikh Darod and the progenitor of the
Harti Darod sub-clan, whose tomb lies in the ancient town of
Qa’ableh.
Sheikh Darod's mawlid (birthday) is also celebrated every Friday with a public reading of his manaaqib.[14]
The Darod were supporters of
ImamAhmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi during his 16th century
conquest of Abyssinia; especially the Geri Koombe who were in laws with Imam Ahmed, Garad Matan married Imam Ahmed's sister who her name was Fardawsa.[17] Garaad Matan being the sultan of Geri Koombe supported the Jihad heavily and served as an Adalite general, second in command to Imam Ahmed.
He also sent a messenger to the tribe of Girri which was the tribe whose leader and chieftain was Mattan bin 'Utman bin Kaled, the Somali, his brother-in-law who was one of the heroic and gracious knights who died as a martyr in the battle for the Amba as will be recalled at some length later on.[18] The storyteller, may God have mercy upon him, says: On the left was the Somali tribe of Harti, from the people of Mait; a people not given to yielding. There were three-hundred of them, famous among the infantry as stolid swordsmen. In the same way there was the tribe of Yibberi, around four-hundred infantrymen, archers. So the imam attached them to the five-hundred who held the centre, saying to them, 'Hold your positions; don't budge, anyone of you.' The tribe of Girri were all horsemen, renowned as riders.[19]
Geri Koombe tribe played a pivotal role in leadership,
Garad Matan ibn Uthman Al Somali was described by chronicler Shihāb al-Dīn as one of the most bravest and courageous military commanders in Adal sultanate. The imam had then gathered all the Somali tribes and entrusted it to his brother in law
Garad Matan ibn Uthman Al Somali[18]
after that the Muslims stood their ground. The tribe of the Somali said it was the tribe of Harla that gave us away while the tribe of Harla said it was the Somali tribe that gave us away The imam split his forces into three divisions: all the Somalis were in one division whose command he entrusted to Mattan[18]
Shihāb al-Dīn notes that Harti soldiers took part in Imam Ahmad's
Adal Sultanate army Hamaza Al Jufi one of the most bravest adalites for the imam was the infantry leader during the battle of shimbara kura. the writer
Arab Faqih attributes him as brave character. in the battle of shimbara kura Hamza al Jufi couldn't contain himself from battle until the adalites had to hold him back telling him to ' be patient ', Arab faqih goes on to describe the Harti just like Hamaza al jufi recognizing the bravery of the Somalis.. He describes them as "famous among the infantry as stolid swordsmen" and "a people not given to yielding".[20]
The Marehan clan are recorded as having played a significant role in
ImamAhmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi's campaigns against
Ethiopia during the 16th century.
ImamAhmad alongside his successor
Emir Nur ibn Al-MujahidGarad Ahmed bin Hirabu all hailed from the
Marehan clan. The Marehan along with the Habar Maqdi of the
Jidwaaq;[21][22][23] helped push westward the enemies into the plains of
Harar and farther, helping destabilize the highland
Christian empire. Evident in these battles were the Somali
archers, namely the Marehan[24]
Lineage
Darod is believed to be the son of the famous Arabian Sheikh, Ismail bin Ibrahim Al-Jabarti, who is buried in the Zabid District of Yemen who is believed to have descendant of
Aqeel ibn Abi Talib who in turn hails from the
Quraysh, a historically significant Arab tribe that the final prophet of Islam,
Muhammed hails from.[25]
In 2009, former
President of Somalia,
Abdullahi Yusuf visited the grave of Ismail bin Ibrahim Al-Jabarti in Yemen[26]
According to many
medieval and modern Islamic historians, Darod is descended from Aqeel ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Muhammad and brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib. An ancient Islamic history book, called Aqeeliyoon by Al-Masudi, talks in detail about the descendants of Aqeel ibn Abi Talib, wherein Darod is also mentioned.[7] The book gives Sheikh Darod's lineage as Abdirahmaan Bin Ismaa'iil Bin Ibraahim Bin Abdirahmaan Bin Muhammed Bin Abdi Samad Bin Hanbal Bin Mahdi Bin Ahmed Bin Abdalle Bin Muhammed Bin Aqail Bin Abu-Talib Bin Abdul-Mutalib Bin Hashim Bin Qusaya.
According to Allaa'i Alsuniyah Fi Al-Aqab Al-Aqeeliyah (2006) by Ahmed bin Ali Al-Rajihi Al-Aqeeli, the lineage of Sheikh Darod/Da'ud is: "Da'ud ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdulsamad ibn Ahmed ibn Abdallah ibn Ahmed Ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdallah ibn Isma'il ibn Ali ibn Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Hamid ibn Abdallah ibn Ibrahim ibn Ali ibn Ahmed ibn Abdallah ibn Muslim ibn Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqeel ibn Abi-Talib Al-Hashimi Al-Qurashi". Al-Aqeeli adds that Sheikh Isma'il's sons include Abi-Bakar, Da'ud, Ahmad and Abdulsamad, whose other offspring inhabit the
Hadhramaut and
Mahra regions in
Southern Arabia.[27]
Distribution
The Darod are believed to be a large Somali clan both in terms of population size and land inhabitation. The Darod constitute a big presence in the
Somali Region of Ethiopia[29] and are also one of the largest Somali clan in North Eastern Province of Kenya.[30] Within Somalia, the Darod are also one of the largest clans, with traditional strongholds in the north, modern day
Puntland state which is dominated by the
Harti subclan of Darod. In addition, the
Marehan,
Ogaden,
Jidwaaq, and
Harti Darod members are also settled further down south in the
Gedo region as well as the
Middle Jubba and
Lower Jubba regions of Somalia. The Darod in Somalia, roughly corresponds to the Darod's settled within the
Jubbaland and
Puntland states. In
Somaliland the Darod settle the eastern
Sool,
Sanaag regions and the
Buhoodle district of
Togdheer
The Darod clan has produced numerous
noble Somali men and women over the centuries, including many
Sultans. Traditionally, the Darod population was mostly concentrated in the northern and northeastern cities on the
Gulf of Aden and upper
Indian Ocean coast in the
Horn of Africa. Darod noble men ruled these settlement pockets until the European colonial powers changed the political dynamics of Somalia during the late 19th century. Before many Darods began pushing southward in the mid-1850s, the
Majeerteen Sultanate and
Sultanate of Hobyo held steadfast in solidly established posts from
Alula to
Hobyo.
Clan tree
There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. The following listing is based upon the
World Bank's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the
United Kingdom's
Home Office publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.[31][32]
One tradition maintains that Darod had one daughter .[39]
Darod's tomb
Darod is buried in an old town called
Haylaan near
Badhan in the north-eastern
Sanaag region of
Somalia. His wife
Dobira is buried just outside the town. The surrounding buildings and the mosque near the tomb was built by the former president of Somalia
Abdullahi Yusuf.
Darod is believed to be the son of the famous Arabian Sheikh, Ismail bin Ibrahim Al-Jabarti, who is buried in the Zabid District of Yemen. Tradition holds that he is descended from the Banu Hashim.
Mohamed Aden Sheikh, Marean premier Somali intellectual and former head of Somali Technological Development, Minister of Information, Minister of Education, Head of the Ideology Bureau SRRC
Abdiweli Gaas, Majeerteen Current President of Puntland
Abdi Shire Warsame, Marehan, former Somali Ambassador to Kenya and China and Former Foreign Affairs State minister in Transitional National Government
Ahmed Mohamed Islam(Axmed Madoobe), Ogaden, President of Jubbaland State of Somalia
Abdiwahid Gonjeh, Marehan, Former Prime minister of Somalia, member of upper house
Ahmed Elmi Osman (Karaash), Dhulbahante, Minister of Interior of Puntland and former President of Khatumo State
Fatimo Isaak Bihi, Marehan, first Somali female ambassador, Ambassador to Geneva, Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Abdiasis Nur Hersi, Awrtable, the former Minister of Labor and Sports from 1970 to 1977[46]
Abdirizak Haji Hussein, Majeerteen, former Prime Minister of Somalia, and former Secretary General of the Somali Youth League.
Abdirizak Jurile, Dishiishe, Veteran politician, Diplomat & Professor. Former TFG minister of planning & International Cooperation, Former MP, former executive director of numerous UN and International organisations, Senator
Hirsi Magan Isse, Majeerteen, scholar and one of the leaders of the Somalian revolution
Nathif Jama Adam, Ogaden, Governor of Garissa County and former Head of the Sharjah Islamic Bank's Investments & International Banking Division
Abdirahman Nur Hersi, Awrtable, The former Minister of Finance in Somalia and founding member and executive Vice President of the
Islamic Development Bank[48]
^Ethnic Groups (Map). Somalia Summary Map.
Central Intelligence Agency. 2002. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection – N.B. Various authorities indicate that the Darod is one of the largest Somali clans
[1], whereas others suggest that the
Hawiye is the largest Somali clan within Somalia, nevertheless, there is an available census that was conducted along the lines of clan affiliates
[2].
^Grant, Peter (2018).
Somalia. Darood is the largest clan among all Somalis across borders.
^Lewis, IM (2019). A Modern History Of Somalia. the Dulbahante and Warsangeli divisions of the Darod who, with a strength of perhaps one and a half million, are the largest and most widely distributed of all the Somali clan-families.
^Rima Berns McGown, Muslims in the diaspora, (University of Toronto Press: 1999), pp.27–28
^I.M. Lewis, A pastoral democracy: a study of pastoralism and politics among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa, (LIT Verlag Münster: 1999), pp.128–129
^Shihāb al-Dīn, ibn ʻAbd al-Qādir ʻArabfaqīh (2003). The Conquest of Abyssinia 16th Century. Tsehai Publishers & Distributors. p. 141.
ISBN9780972317252.
^al-Dīn, Shihāb (2003). The Conquest of Abyssinia. Tsehai Publishers & Distributors. p. 125.
ISBN0972317260.
^Richard Pankhurst, An Introduction to the Economic History of Ethiopia, from Early Times to 1800
Hunt, John A. (1951). "
Chapter IX: Tribes and Their Stock". A General Survey of the Somaliland Protectorate 1944–1950.
London: Crown Agent for the Colonies. Accessed on October 7, 2005 (from Civic Webs Virtual Library archive).
Lewis, I.M. (1955). Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somali, Afar, and Saho, Part 1, London: International African Institute.
Lewis, I. M. (1961). A pastoral democracy: a study of pastoralism and politics among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa, reed. Münster: LIT Verlag, 1999.