Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān

Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān, most commonly known as Arab Faqīh, was a Yemeni writer from the port of Jizan.^[1] Best known for writing the chronicle "Futuh al-Habasha", a first hand account of the Ethiopian-Adal war in the sixteenth century.^[2]

Shihab al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir ibn Sālim ibn ʿUthmān
Title	Arab Faqih
Personal life
Era	Adal Sultanate
Region	Horn of Africa
Main interest(s)	Warfare
Notable work(s)	Futuh al-Habasha
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Jurisprudence	Sunni

Biography

Arab Faqih was a citizen of the Adal Sultanate and a religious Sufi.^[3][4] He is believed to be of Yemeni descent according to most scholars.^[5][6][7][8]

His surname in the Harari language was 'Arab Faqih,' which translates to "the Arab Jurist," a name suggesting Arab Yemeni roots. However, Enrico Cerulli argues that he was likely of Harari descent who became proficient in Arabic, thus earning that name. ^[9]

He used to document his work (which were left unfinished) in Jizan, Yemen.^[9]

Linguist Giorgio Banti states it is noteworthy that his name Arab Faqīh is constructed using Arabic vocabulary while adhering to Harari grammatical rules.^[10]

Arab Faqih is notable for writing the "Futuh al-Habasha" which details the sixteenth century war between Adal and Abyssinia from the point of view of Harar residents.^[11]