Sheekhaal
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Languages | |
| Somali and Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (Sunni) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Siddiquis, Qallu, Harari people, Arabs and other Somali clans |
The Sheekhaal (var. Sheikhaal, Sheikal, Shikal) (Arabic: شيخال), also known as Fiqi Omar, is a Somali clan. Group members inhabit Somalia, Ethiopia and with considerable numbers also found in the Northern Frontier District (NFD) in Kenya.
Sheekhal traces its ancestry to Sheikh Abadir Umar Ar-Rida, also known as Fiqi Umar, who in turn traced his lineage to the first caliph, Abu Bakr (Sayid Abubakar Al-Sadiq). According to the explorer Richard F. Burton, In his book "First Footsteps in East Africa". The Sheekhaash or Sheekhaal is described as the only Somalis of the mountains not derived from Dir and Darood. They claim descent from "Caliph Abu Bakr" and asserted that their ancestor Khutab bin Fakih Umar crossed over from Al-Hijaz. However, some Sheekhal clans claim matriarchal descent from the Makahiil sub-clan of the Gadabursi which is a sub-clan of the Dir (clan) . Fiqi Umar crossed over from the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa with his six sons: Umar the Greater, Umar the Lesser, the two Abdillahs, Ahmad and Siddik. Sheikh Ar-Rida is also regarded as the saint of Harar.
Some Sheekhal clans, specifically members of the Ahmed Loobage sub-lineage, consider themselves to be members of the larger Hawiye clan. However, others within the Ahmed Loobage subclan would argue that while they are politically aligned with the larger Hawiye clan, this does not mean that they are descendants of Hawiye. This view is shared by the Aw-Qutub, one of the major Sheekhal subclans; they too totally reject the notion that the Sheekhal are part of the Hawiye clan in terms of descent. UNHCR considers the Sheekhal as a separate group, with four sub-clans: Lobogay (Loboge), Aw Qudub and Gendershe and Ali. Lewis (1982) mentions that the largest clan of the Sheikhal is the Reer Fiqi Omar, whose most important lineage, the Reer Aw Qutub, inhabit Somali region of Ethiopia. The Sheekhal clans were reportedly not considered as part of the Hawiye politically until after the civil war.
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